Notes on
Numbers
2 0 1 6
E d i t i o n
Dr. Thomas L. Constable
Introduction
TITLE
The title the Jews used in their Hebrew Old Testament for this book comes from the fifth
word in the book in the Hebrew text, bemidbar: "in the wilderness." This is, of course,
appropriate since the Israelites spent most of the time covered in the narrative of
Numbers in the wilderness.
The English title "Numbers" is a translation of the Greek title Arithmoi. The Septuagint
translators chose this title because of the two censuses of the Israelites that Moses
recorded at the beginning (chs. 1—4) and toward the end (ch. 26) of the book. These
"numberings" of the people took place at the beginning and end of the wilderness
wanderings, and frame the contents of Numbers.
DATE AND WRITER
Moses wrote Numbers (cf. Num. 1:1; 33:2; Matt. 8:4; 19:7; Luke 24:44; John 1:45; et
al.). He apparently wrote it late in his life, across the Jordan from the Promised Land, on
the Plains of Moab.1 Moses evidently died close to 1406 B.C., since the Exodus happened
about 1446 B.C. (1 Kings 6:1), the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years (Num.
32:13), and he died shortly before they entered the Promised Land (Deut. 34:5).
There are also a few passages that appear to have been added after Moses' time: 12:3;
21:14-15; and 32:34-42. However, it is impossible to say how much later.
SCOPE AND PURPOSE
When the book opens, the Israelites were in the second month of the second year after
they departed from Egypt (1:1). Yet in chapters 7—10 we read about things that
happened in the nation before that time. Those events happened after Moses finished
setting up the tabernacle, which occurred on the first day of the first month of the second
year (7:1; cf. Exod. 40:17). When Numbers closes, the Israelites were in the tenth month
of the fortieth year (cf. Deut. 1:3). Thus the total time Numbers covers is about 39 years.
1See
the commentaries for fuller discussions of these subjects, e.g., Gordon J. Wenham, Numbers, pp. 21-
25.
Copyright © 2016 by Thomas L. Constable
Published by Sonic Light: http://www.soniclight.com/
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
Numbers records that the Israelites traveled from Mt. Sinai to the plains of Moab, which
lay to the east of Jericho and the Jordan River. However, their journey was not at all
direct. They proceeded from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea on Canaan's southern border, but
failed to go into the Promised Land from there because of unbelief. Their failure to trust
God and obey Him resulted in a period of 38 years of wandering in the wilderness. God
finally brought them back to "Kadesh" (short for "Kadesh Barnea"), and led them from
there to the Plains of Moab, that lay on Canaan's eastern border.
Even though the wilderness wanderings consumed the majority of the years that Numbers
records, Moses passed over the events of this period of Israel's history fairly quickly. No
one knows for sure how much time the Israelites spent in transit during the 38 years
between their first and last visits to Kadesh Barnea. God's emphasis in Numbers is first
on His preparation of the Israelites to enter the land from Kadesh (chs. 1—14), and lastly
on His preparation of their entrance from the Plains of Moab (chs. 20—36). This
indicates that the purpose of the book was primarily to show how God dealt with the
Israelites as they anticipated entrance into the Promised Land. It was not to record all the
events, or even most of the events, that took place in Israel's "wilderness wandering"
history. This selection of content, presented to teach spiritual lessons, is in harmony with
the other books of the Pentateuch. Their concern, too, was more theological than
historical.
Where Numbers Concentrates its Emphasis
The
Exodus
40 Years of Wilderness Wanderings
14
chs
5
chs
Entrance into the
Promised Land
17
chs
The Number of Chapters in Numbers
"The material in Numbers cannot be understood apart from what precedes
it in Exodus and Leviticus. The middle books of the Pentateuch hang
closely together, with Genesis forming a prologue, and Deuteronomy the
epilogue to the collection."2
The content in Numbers stresses events leading to the destruction of the older generation
of Israelites in the wilderness, and the preparation of the new generation for entrance into
the land. The census at the beginning of the book (chs. 1—4), and the one at the end
(ch. 26), provide: ". . . the overarching literary and theological structure of the book of
Numbers."3
2Ibid.,
pp. 15-16.
T. Olson, The Death of the Old and the Birth of the New: The Framework of the Book of Numbers
and the Pentateuch, p. 81.
3Dennis
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"We may also venture the purpose of the book in this manner: To compel
obedience to Yahweh by members of the new community by reminding
them of the wrath of God on their parents because of their breach of
covenant; to encourage them to trust in the ongoing promises of their Lord
as they follow him into their heritage in Canaan; and to provoke them to
worship of God and to the enjoyment of their salvation."4
"The Book of Numbers seems to be an instruction manual to post-Sinai
Israel. The 'manual' deals with three areas: (a) how the nation was to order
itself in its journeyings, (b) how the priests and Levites were to function in
the condition of mobility which lay ahead, and (c) how they were to
prepare themselves for the conquest of Canaan and their settled lives there.
The narrative sections, of which there are many, demonstrate the successes
and failures of the Lord's people as they conformed and did not conform to
the requirements in the legislative, cultic, and prescriptive parts of the
book."5
GENRE
The basic genre of Numbers is narrative, though there are legal and genealogical sections
as well, that supplement the narrative. One scholar identified 14 different genres in the
book.6 However, most of it is narrative and legal material, and the overarching genre is
instructional history designed to teach theology.7
STYLE
"The individual pericopes of Numbers manifest design. Their main
structural device is chiasm and introversion. Also evidenced are such
artifices as parallel panels, subscripts and repetitive resumptions,
prolepses, and septenary enumerations. The pericopes are linked to each
other by associative terms and themes and to similar narratives in Exodus
by the same itinerary formula."8
THEME
I believe the theme of the book is obedience.
"The major theological theme of Numbers is reciprocal in nature: God has
brought a people to Himself by covenant grace, but He expects of them a
wholehearted devotion. Having accepted the terms of the Sinai Covenant,
Israel had placed herself under obligation to obey them, a process that was
4Ronald
B. Allen, "Numbers," in Genesis-Numbers, vol. 2 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary, p. 662.
H. Merrill, "Numbers," in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, p. 215.
6Ibid., p. xiii.
7Tremper Longman III and Raymond B. Dillard, An Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 95.
8Jacob Milgrom, Numbers, p. xxxi.
5Eugene
3
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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to begin at once and not in some distant place and time (Exod. 19:8;
24:3)."9
OUTLINE
I.
Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1—25
II.
A.
Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1—10
1.
The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1—4
2.
Commands and rituals to observe in preparation for entering the
land chs. 5—9
3.
The departure from Sinai ch. 10
B.
The rebellion and judgment of the unbelieving generation chs. 11—25
1.
The cycle of rebellion, atonement, and death chs. 11—20
2.
The climax of rebellion, hope, and the end of dying chs. 21—25
Prospects of the younger generation in the land chs. 26—36
A.
Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the east chs. 26—32
1.
The second census ch. 26
2.
Provisions and commands to observe in preparation for entering
the land chs. 27—30
3.
Reprisal against Midian and the settlement of the Transjordanian
tribes chs. 31—32
B.
Warning and encouragement of the younger generation chs. 33—36
1.
Review of the journey from Egypt 33:1-49
2.
Anticipation of the Promised Land 33:50—36:13
J. Sidlow Baxter outlined Numbers as follows:10
I.
The old generation (Sinai to Kadesh) chs. 1—14
A.
The numbering chs. 1—4
B.
The instructing chs. 5—9
C.
The journeying chs. 10—14
The transition era (wandering in the wilderness) chs. 15—20
The new generation (Kadesh to Moab) chs. 21—34
A.
The new journeying chs. 21—25
B.
The new numbering chs. 26—27
C.
The new instructing chs. 28—34
II.
III.
9Merrill,
10J.
"Numbers," in The Old Testament Explorer, p. 98.
Sidlow Baxter, "The Book of Numbers," in Explore the Book, 1:156.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
MESSAGE
To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book, it will be helpful to
identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of
the book.
The first major value of Numbers is that it reveals the "graciousness of God" to an extent
not previously revealed. We see God's graciousness in His dealings with Israel
throughout this book.
In the first section of Numbers (chs. 1—10), God's provision for His people stands out.
We see this in the order and purity God specified for the maintenance of the Israelite
camp. We see it in the worship God provided for in the camp. We also see it in the
movement God prescribed for the camp. God faithfully provided for the needs of His
people in these many ways as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.
In the second section of the book (chs. 11—21), God's patience with His people stands
out. When the Israelites failed to obey God, He did not desert them, but He disciplined
them in love. God's patience in dealing with the Israelites did not result from God's
weakness, but it was an evidence of His strength. God did not manifest carelessness
toward the Israelites by making them wander in the wilderness for 38 years. He
manifested carefulness as He used those 38 years to prepare the next generation to obey
Him.
God disciplined the people for their disobedience, but He always directed them toward
the realization of His purpose for them as He disciplined them. The years of wilderness
wandering were years of education rather than abandonment. God had similarly prepared
Moses for 40 years in the wilderness before the Exodus. Compare Jesus in the wilderness
for 40 days.
In the third section (chs. 22—36), God's persistence in bringing Israel to the threshold of
the land is prominent. God protected Israel from her enemies and provided for her needs.
Even though Israel had been unfaithful, God persisted in demonstrating faithfulness to
the nation He had chosen to bless (cf. 2 Tim. 2:12).
A second major value of this book is the revelation it contains of the gravity of
"unbelief." This is a revelation of man, whereas the first was a revelation of God.
Numbers reveals the seriousness of the sin of unbelief, which manifests itself in
disobedience. The Israelites struggled with unbelief throughout the book, but the most
serious instance of it took place at Kadesh Barnea (chs. 13—14).
Numbers reveals the roots of unbelief. There were two causes: a mixed multitude and
mixed motives.
The congregation consisted of a combination of believing Israelites and others who had,
for various reasons, joined themselves to the people of God: a mixed multitude. These
foreigners joined Israel first at the Exodus (Exod. 12:38), but we find them mixed in with
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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the Israelites throughout Israel's subsequent history (cf. Lev. 24:10-23). This "rabble" was
first to complain against God, and their murmuring spread through the camp like a plague
periodically (cf. 11:4). Is there a mixed multitude in Christendom? Yes, real mixed with
professing Christians.
The second cause of unbelief was the mixed motives of the Israelites. They wanted to
enjoy God's blessings, and even obeyed Him to a degree to obtain these. But they also
wanted things that God—in His love for them—did not want them to have (cf. Gen. 3).
The Israelites did not fully commit themselves to God (cf. Rom. 12:1-2). They did not
fully allow God to shape them into a nation that would fulfill His purpose for them in the
world. This too resulted in murmuring. They longed for what they had experienced in
Egypt, and preferred a comfortable life over the adventurous life to which God had called
them. Murmuring is the telltale evidence of selfishness. It arises from a lack of singleminded dedication to God. How are these mixed motives evident today? We see them in
discontent and worldly standards.
The message of Numbers is that everything depends on our attitude toward God. Our
attitude toward our opportunities and our circumstances reveals our attitude toward God.
If we are not content with what God has brought into our lives, it indicates we may want
something different for ourselves than what God wants for us.
When we face a challenge to our faith, we need to visualize the difficulty itself being
overshadowed by God's presence, power, and promises.
The alternative is to allow the difficulty to block our view of God. The influences of
unbelievers and our own double-mindedness will tend to make us behave as the Israelites
did. At these times of testing, remembering Israel's experiences in Numbers should help
us understand what is going on, to help us trust God and obey Him more consistently.
The message of Numbers is a message of "comfort," on the one hand.
Numbers teaches that the failures of God's people cannot frustrate His plans. In Exodus,
we saw that the opposition of God's enemies cannot defeat Him. In Numbers, we see that
the failure of His instruments cannot defeat Him, either. God's chosen instruments can
postpone God's purposes, but they cannot preclude them.
In Numbers, we also see that God always deals with His chosen instruments righteously.
He will bless the minority who are faithful to Him, even though they live among a
majority who are under His discipline for being unfaithful. We see this in God's dealings
with Caleb and Joshua. God honors the faithful. He will also faithfully work with those
He is disciplining for their unfaithfulness. He will encourage them to experience the
greatest blessing they can within the sphere of their discipline. We see this in His
dealings with the rebellious generation of Israelites. Furthermore, God will not overlook
those who have disobeyed Him, just because, or even if, they have established a record of
past obedience. He will discipline them, too. We see this in God's dealings with Moses.
Whereas God honors the faithful, He also disciplines the unfaithful.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
Numbers further teaches us that God's provisions are always adequate for His people's
needs (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9). He sustained the Israelites in the wilderness. Their failures were
not a result of God's inadequate provision, but came from their own dissatisfaction with
His provision. God Himself is an adequate Resource for His people as they go through
life (cf. Exod. 14—17). We need to look to Him for our needs.
On the other hand, Numbers is also a message of "warning." Every believer and every
group of believers (e.g., a local church), from time to time, faces the same challenge to
their faith that the Israelites faced in the wilderness and at Kadesh. The crisis comes when
faith encounters obstacles that only God's supernatural power can overcome. The believer
should then proceed against these obstacles by placing simple confidence in God. Our
response will depend on whether we are willing to act on our belief that God's presence,
power, and promises can overcome them. We need to focus on God more than on
ourselves.
We can fail to realize all that God wants for us if we fail to trust Him. Let me challenge
you to attempt great things for God. Think big! In 1977, Chris Marentika started the
Evangelical Theological Seminary of Indonesia. As of November, 2002, the school had a
permanent campus, about 450 students, a Christian university with 2,500 students, 15
branch schools, students and graduates had planted over 1,000 churches, and seen 50,000
Moslems become Christians. All of this took place in the largest Moslem country in the
world—which is also persecuting Christians!
By way of review, Genesis expounds faith. Exodus reveals that faith manifests itself in
worship and obedience. Leviticus explains worship more fully. Numbers stresses the
importance of obedience.
Numbers shows the importance of obedience by revealing the roots, process, and fruits of
disobedience.11
J. Sidlow Baxter believed that the central message of Numbers may be expressed in the
words of Romans 11:22: "Behold then the kindness and severity of God."
"In Numbers we see the severity of God, in the old generation which fell
in the wilderness and never entered Canaan. We see the goodness of God,
in the new generation which was protected, preserved, and provided for,
until Canaan was possessed. In the one case we see the awful inflexibility
of the Divine justice. In the other case we see the unfailing faithfulness of
God in His promise, His purpose, His people.
"Closely running up to this central message of the book are two other
lessons—two warnings to ourselves; and these also may be expressed in
words from the New Testament. The first is a warning against
presumption. Turning again to the Corinthian passage which we have just
quoted in full (I Cor. x. 1-12), we find that this warning against
11Adapted
from G. Campbell Morgan, Living Messages of the Books of the Bible, 1:1:65-80.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
presumption is the lesson which Paul himself sees in the book of
Numbers. After telling us that 'all these things happened unto them as
types' for us, he says: 'Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take
heed lest he fall.'
"The second warning is against unbelief. In Hebrews iii. 19 we read: 'They
could not enter in (to Canaan) because of unbelief'; and then it is added—
'Let us therefore fear lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest,
any of you should seem to come short of it.' And again: 'Take heed,
brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief' (iii. 12).
"Thus the New Testament itself interprets the book of Numbers for us.
This fourth writing of Moses says: 1. 'Behold the goodness and severity of
God.' 2. 'Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed . . .' 3. 'Take heed lest
there be in you—unbelief.'"12
12Baxter,
1:162.
2016 Edition
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
Exposition
I. EXPERIENCES OF THE OLDER GENERATION IN THE WILDERNESS
CHS. 1—25
This first main section of the book records how God prepared the Israelites to enter the
Promised Land from Kadesh Barnea, and why they failed to achieve that goal. Numbers,
like Leviticus, is divisible into two parts. The first part of Numbers (chs. 1—25) focuses
on the experiences of the older generation of Israelites that left Egypt in the Exodus.
Part 2 of the book (chs. 26—36) deals mainly with the younger generation that entered
the Promised Land.
A. PREPARATIONS FOR ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND FROM THE SOUTH CHS.
1—10
The first 10 chapters in Numbers describe Israel's preparation for entering the land. There
is some similarity between these chapters and Exodus 16—19, which record preparations
to enter into covenant with Yahweh at Mt. Sinai.
". . . just as the way from Goshen to Sinai was a preparation of the chosen
people for their reception into the covenant with God, so the way from
Sinai to Canaan was also a preparation for the possession of the promised
land."13
Note again the phrase "just as the Lord had commanded Moses" that recurs throughout
these chapters (1:19; et al.). This obedient attitude contrasts with the attitude of rebellion
that grew over time and resulted in the Kadesh Barnea fiasco (11:1). This change in
attitude is even more important for us to observe than the census figures and the order of
march.
1. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1—4
"The two censuses (chs. 1—4, 26) are key to understanding the structure
of the book. The first census (chs. 1—4) concerns the first generation of
the Exodus community; the second census (ch. 26) focuses on the
experiences of the second generation, the people for whom this book is
primarily directed. The first generation of the redeemed were prepared for
triumph but ended in disaster. The second generation has an opportunity
for greatness—if only they will learn from the failures of their fathers and
mothers the absolute necessity for robust faithfulness to the Lord despite
all obstacles."14
13C.
F. Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Pentateuch, 3:1.
p. 701.
14Allen,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
The muster of the tribes except Levi ch. 1
"Over 150 times in the Book of Numbers, it's recorded that God spoke to
Moses [v. 1] and gave him instructions to share with the people."15
This phrase ("the LORD spoke to Moses") appears many times in Exodus, in Leviticus,
and once in Deuteronomy, as well. In view of the frequency of this claim, it is
disappointing to note the following statement by a leading contemporary Jewish
historian:
"Even the most pious are recognizing that it does not detract one jot or
tittle from the richness and usefulness of the age-hallowed volume [i.e.,
the Bible] to admit that it is the record of an amazing people's spiritual
progress rather than an infallible document of divine origin. Stanley Cook
suggests that it deepens the value of the Bible and brings out its central
truths to regard it as 'man's account of the divine rather than a divine
account of man.'"16
The purpose for counting the adult males 20 years of age and older was to identify those
who would serve in battle when Israel entered the land (v. 3).17 This is clear from the fact
that the phrase "from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go to war," or its
equivalent, appears 14 times in this chapter (vv. 3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38,
40, 42, 45; cf. v. 18). Entrance into the land should have been only a few weeks from the
taking of this census. Moses had taken another census nine months before this one (Exod.
30:11-16; 38:25-26), but the purpose of that count was to determine how many adult
males owed atonement money.
The primary purpose of the second census, in Numbers 26, was to count the soldiers
again, and to determine the size of the tribes for each tribe's land allotment. The census
described in Numbers 1 excluded the Levites, all of whom God exempted from typical
military service in Israel (vv. 49-50). It also excluded the "mixed multitude" of non-Jews
who accompanied the Israelites.
"Only true Israelites were allowed to fight Israel's battles. None of the
'mixed multitude' which came from Egypt with Israel were eligible. What
a lesson for us today, when all sorts of persons are allowed to serve in the
organized Church who are without the Divinely required spiritual pedigree
of the new birth!"18
The number of fighting men in each tribe counted was as follows:
15Warren
W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary/Pentateuch, p. 313.
Sachar, A History of the Jews, p. 10. He provided no documentation for his quotation of Cook.
17See Gershon Brin, "The Formulae 'From . . . and Onward/Upward' (m . . . whl'h/wmslh)," Journal of
Biblical Literature 99:2 (1980):161-71.
18Baxter, 1:166.
16Abram
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
11
Reuben
46,500
Ephraim
40,500
Simeon
59,300
Manasseh
32,200
Gad
45,650
Benjamin
35,400
Judah
74,600
Dan
62,700
Issachar
54,400
Asher
41,500
Zebulun
57,400
Naphtali
53,400
The total was "603,550" men (v. 46). Since each tribe's total figure ends in zero, it
appears that Moses must have rounded off these numbers. God was already well on the
way to making the patriarchs' descendants innumerable (cf. Gen. 15:5). However, the
large census numbers have posed a problem for thoughtful Bible students. How could so
many people have survived in the desert for so long? Many skeptical scholars have tried
to explain these very large numbers as being much smaller.19 The problem involves the
meaning of the Hebrew word eleph. This word has been translated "thousand," "unit,"
"clan," etc., as it appears in various contexts.
"In short, there is no obvious solution to the problems posed by these
census figures."20
I believe we should take eleph in census contexts as "thousands," until further
investigation clearly indicates that we should interpret it differently.
"It has been estimated that from two to three million people—including
Levites, aged persons, children, and women—comprised the camp."21
"It is in the context of developing a military organization for war that the
Levites are assigned their tasks in relation to the tabernacle. In a sense,
their military assignment is the care and transportation of the religious
shrine. Num. 1:49-53 clearly outlines the requirements for the militaristic
protection of the tabernacle by the Levites."22
19For
a summary of the ways commentators have sought to explain the very large census numbers as
smaller, see R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, pp. 631-64; Allen, pp. 680-91; Philip J.
Budd, Numbers, pp. 6-9; Wenham, pp. 60-66; Timothy R. Ashley, The Book of Numbers, pp. 60-66;
Merrill, "Numbers," in The Bible, . . ., p. 217; David M. Fouts, "A Defense of the Hyperbolic Interpretation
of Large Numbers in the Old Testament," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40:3 (September
1997):377-87; idem, "The Incredible Numbers of the Hebrew Kings," in Giving the Sense: Understanding
and Using Old Testament Historical Texts, pp. 283-99; idem, "The Use of Large Numbers in the Old
Testament with Particular Emphasis on the Use of 'elep," (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary,
1992); K. A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament, pp. 263-65; the note on 1:21 in the NET
Bible.; and John W. Wenham, "The Large Numbers in the Old Testament," Tyndale Bulletin 18 (1967):1953.
20Idem, Numbers, p. 66.
21Elmer Smick, "Numbers," in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 115. See also idem, p. 116.
22John R. Spencer, "The Tasks of the Levites: smr and sb'," Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche
Wessenschaft 96:2 (1984):270.
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The "Levites" were one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Kohathites were one of three clans
within that tribe, and the "priests" were the descendants of Aaron's family within the
Kohathite clan. Moses and Aaron were Kohathites. Moses had functioned as Israel's
"high priest" before God appointed Aaron to that office. So the hierarchy of priests in
Israel's early history was: the high priest on top (Aaron and later one of his descendants),
the other priests below him (Aaron's other descendants), and lastly the Levites at the
bottom (the relatives of Aaron's descendants within the tribe of Levi). The Levites often
assisted the priests in their less important duties.
During the wilderness wanderings, the Levites carried the tabernacle and its furnishings
(1:47-54). They also guarded this sanctuary (1 Chron. 9:19), taught the Israelites the Law
(Deut. 33:8-11; Neh. 8:7-9), and led them in worshipping the Lord (2 Chron. 29:28-32).
The total impression of Israel's God that this chapter projects is that He is a God of order
rather than of chaos and confusion (cf. Gen. 1; 1 Cor. 14:40).
The phrase "the Lord spoke to Moses" (v. 1) occurs over 80 times in the Book of
Numbers.23
The placement of the tribes ch. 2
The twelve tribes—excluding the Levites—camped in four groups of three tribes each, a
different group on each of the tabernacle's four sides. The Aaronic family of priests and
the three clans of Levites camped on the four sides of the tabernacle, but closer to the
sanctuary than the other tribes (v. 17). This arrangement placed Yahweh at the center of
the nation—geographically—and reminded the Israelites that His rightful place was at the
center of their life—nationally and personally.
"The Egyptians characteristically placed the tent of the king, his generals,
and officers at the center of a large army camp, but for the Israelites
another tent was central: the sanctuary in which it placed God to dwell
among his people. From him proceeds the power to save and to defend,
and from this tent in the middle he made known his ever-saving will."24
"This picture of the organization of Israel in camp is an expression of the
author's understanding of the theology of the divine presence. There are
barriers which divide a holy God from a fallible Israel. The structure of the
tent itself and the construction of the sophisticated priestly hierarchy has
the effect, at least potentially, of emphasizing the difference and distance
between man and God. This is valuable to theology as a perspective, but
requires the compensating search for nearness and presence. The . . .
author sought to affirm this in and through his insistence that God is to be
found, tabernacled among his people, at the center of their life as a
community."25
23Walter
Riggans, Numbers, p. 6.
Maarsingh, Numbers: a practical commentary, p. 15.
25Budd, p. 25.
24B.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
13
Locations of the Tribes around the Tabernacle
NORTH
Naphtali
Ephraim
Levites (Gershonites)
Manasseh
EAST
Issachar
Judah
Benjamin
Zebulun
Levites (Merarites)
Moses & Aaron & Other Priests
WEST
Dan
Asher
Levites (Kohathites)
Reuben
Simeon
Gad
SOUTH
The tribes that camped to the east and south marched ahead of the tabernacle, whereas
those on the west and north marched behind the tabernacle—whenever Israel was in
transit. The tabernacle faced "east" (i.e., "orient"), to face the rising sun, as was
customary in the ancient world.
"According to rabbinical tradition, the standard of Judah bore the figure of
a lion, that of Reuben the likeness of a man or of a man's head, that of
Ephraim the figure of an ox, and that of Dan the figure of an eagle . . ."26
The early Christians used these same symbols to represent the four Gospels: They used a
"lion" to stand for Matthew, an "ox for Mark, a "man" for Luke, and an "eagle" for John.
These animals symbolize various aspects of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ that each
evangelist stressed.
God evidently arranged the tribes in this order of encampment because of their ancestry.
26Keil
Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
Descendants of Leah
Reuben, Simeon, Gad
Descendants of Leah and her maid Zilpah
Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin
Descendants of Rachel
Dan, Asher, Naphtali
Descendants of the maids Bilhah and Zilpah
and Delitzsch, 3:17. Cf. Ezek. 1:10; Rev. 4:7.
14
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
"It will be seen from this arrangement that the vanguard and rearguard of
the host had the strongest forces—186,400 and 157,600 respectively—
with the smaller tribal groupings within them and the tabernacle in the
center."27
Moses did not explain the relationship of the individual tribes, that camped on each side
of the tabernacle, to the two other tribes on the same side. Some scholars believe they
were as my diagram above indicates, while others feel that Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and
Dan were in the center of their groups.28
"Further, the placement on the east is very significant in Israel's thought.
East is the place of the rising of the sun, the source of hope and
sustenance. Westward was the sea. Israel's traditional stance was with its
back to the ocean and the descent of the sun. The ancient Hebrews were
not a sea-faring people like the Phoenicians and the Egyptians. For Israel
the place of pride was on the east. Hence there we find the triad of tribes
headed by Judah, Jacob's fourth son and father of the royal house that
leads to King Messiah."29
". . . the Genesis narratives devote much attention to the notion of 'the
east,' a theme that also appears important in the arrangement of the tribes.
After the Fall, Adam and Eve, and then Cain, were cast out of God's good
land 'toward the east' (3:24; 4:16). Furthermore, Babylon was built in the
east (Ge 11:2[, 9]), and Sodom was 'east' of the Promised Land (13:11).
Throughout these narratives the hope is developed that God's redemption
would come from the east and that this redemption would be a time of
restoration of God's original blessing and gift of the land in Creation.
Thus, God's first act of preparing the land—when he said, 'Let there be
light' (1:3)—used the imagery of the sunrise in the east as a figure of the
future redemption. Moreover, God's garden was planted for humankind 'in
the east' of Eden (2:8), and it was there that God intended to pour out his
blessing on them.
"Throughout the pentateuchal narratives, then, the concept of moving
'eastward' plays an important role as a reminder of the Paradise Lost—the
garden in the east of Eden—and a reminder of the hope for a return to
God's blessing 'from the east'—the place of waiting in the wilderness. It
was not without purpose, then, that the arrangement of the tribes around
the tabernacle should reflect the same imagery of hope and redemption."30
Baxter estimated that the quadrangle formed by some 2 million Israelites around the
tabernacle would have made the encampment about 12 miles square (each of the four
borders of the camp being 12 miles long).31
27James
Philip, Numbers, p. 43.
Leon Wood, A Survey of Israel's History, p. 152; and Ashley, p. 74.
29Allen, p. 715.
30John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative, pp. 371-72.
31Baxter, 1:164.
28E.g.,
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
The placement and number of the Levites and firstborn of Israel ch. 3
Note the recurrence of a key word in the Pentateuch in verse l: toledot.
"For the first time after the formative events of the Exodus deliverance
and the revelation on Mount Sinai, the people of Israel are organized into a
holy people on the march under the leadership of Aaron and Moses with
the priests and Levites at the center of the camp. A whole new chapter has
opened in the life of the people of Israel, and this new beginning is marked
by the toledot formula."32
God exempted the Levites from military confrontation with Israel's enemies. He did this
because He chose the whole tribe to assist the priests, Aaron's "family" within the tribe of
Levi, in the service of the sanctuary (vv. 5-9). The Levites' "duties" were: to guard
("keep") the "holy things" (tabernacle "furnishings") from affront by (violation,
defilement from) foolish people, and to care for ("the service of") the holy things.33
"The Levites ministered to the priests (3:6) mainly in the outward
elements of the worship services, while the priests performed the
ceremonial exercises of the worship itself."34
God sanctified the Levitical service. Any Israelite who was not a Levite, who did this
work, was to suffer execution (vv. 10, 38).
On the first Passover night in Egypt God set apart "all" the "firstborn" of the Israelites
("sons of Israel"), man and beast ("from man to beast"), to Himself (vv. 12-13). He did
this when He chose Israel as His "firstborn (i.e., privileged) son." From that day to the
one this chapter records, the Israelites had to dedicate "all" their "firstborn" sons for
sanctuary service, and their "firstborn" animals (cattle, sheep, goats) as sacrifices. Now
God selected the Levites and their animals instead, to take the place of the entire nation's
"firstborn." God bestowed this privilege on the Levites because they stood with God
when the rest of the nation apostatized by worshipping the golden calf (Exod. 32:26-29).
"The power of a people lies in the birth of its progeny, and so a great value
was placed on the first child to be born—a value so great, in fact, that in
many nations the eldest son was sacrificed to the gods."35
The tabernacle responsibilities of each group were as follows:
32Olson,
Gershonites
software (curtains and coverings; vv. 21-26)
Kohathites
furniture and utensils (vv. 27-32)
Merarites
hardware (boards and bars; vv. 33-37)
p. 108.
Wenham, p. 70; Ashley, p. 69.
34Irving Jensen, Numbers: Journey to God's Rest-Land, pp. 28-29.
35Maarsingh, p. 16.
33G.
15
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2016 Edition
The total number of Levite "males" from "a month old and upward" was "22,000" (v. 39),
making it the smallest tribe in Israel by far.36 The fact that this figure does not add up
using the totals in verses 22 ("Gershon, 7,500"), 28 ("Kohath, 8,600"), and 34 ("Merari,
6,200"), may be the result of a "textual corruption,"37 in particular a "copyist's error."38
Verse 28 probably read 8,300 originally.
"3 (Hebrew sls) could quite easily have been corrupted into 6 (ss)."39
"It certainly seems that the level 22,000 is the right total, for verse 43 says
that the number of the firstborn in all the tribes was 22,273, and verse 46
says that this was 273 more than the Levite males."40
Moses then numbered all the "firstborn" males in the other tribes, from one month old
and up. There were 22,273 of them (v. 43). Evidently these were born right after the
Exodus (cf. 1:45-46). God "took" (substituted) 22,000 of the Levites in their place
(v. 45). He specified the redemption price of the remaining "273" (the superfluous,
"leftover number" of Israelite males not replaced by Levites). That is, the Israelites had to
pay "five shekels" to the priests for each of these men (vv. 46-48). This freed them from
God's claim on them for sanctuary service (cf. 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
"Theologically the section as a whole explores the theme of God's
holiness. Viewed in one way the priestly hierarchy is a means of
protecting Israel from divine holiness. The introduction of another sacred
order between priests and people emphasizes the difference between the
fallibility of man and the perfection of God. . . . Viewed in another way
the hierarchy constitutes the recognized channel through which God
brings stability and well-being to his people."41
"The Levites, the keepers of Yahweh's dwelling place, were to surround
the Tabernacle. They were particularly close, both in location and
function, because they represented the firstborn of Israel whom Yahweh
spared in the Exodus (3:12-13, 44-45; 8:5-26). It was their responsibility
to attend to the sanctuary (chap. 4) for it is ever the ministry of the eldest
son to serve his father and protect his interests."42
The number of Levites in tabernacle service ch. 4
Moses did not arrange the three Levitical families, in the text here, in the order of the
ages of their founders. He arranged them in the order of the holiness of the articles that
they managed.
36See
Merrill, "Numbers," in The Bible . . ., p. 220, for explanation of the comparatively small number of
Levites.
37G. Wenham, p. 71. Cf. A. Noordtzij, Numbers, p. 38.
38Keil and Delitzsch, 3:23. Cf. Smick, p. 117.
39G. Wenham, p. 71.
40Baxter, 1:167.
41Budd, p. 41.
42Eugene H. Merrill, "A Theology of the Pentateuch," in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, p. 60.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
The Kohathites ("descendants" or "sons of Kohath")—who included Moses, Aaron, and
the priests—were in charge of the tabernacle furniture ("furnishings"), including the
"ark." God told them how to prepare the various pieces of furniture for travel, and how to
"carry" them. The priests ("Aaron and his sons") wrapped the articles of furniture, except
the laver, in various, specially prescribed "scarlet" and "blue cloths" and or "porpoise
skins," and then the other Kohathites carried them.
". . . it is to be noted that the ark was to have the blue ("violet") cloth
placed over the skins [v. 6], not under as with the other holy things (vv. 710). By such means the ark could be distinguished in the march (cf.
10:33)."43
Touching a holy piece of furniture, or even looking at one, would result in certain death
("so that they will not touch the holy objects and die . . . they shall not go in to see the
holy objects even for a moment, or they will die"; vv. 15, 20). This teaches us that even
we in New Testament times should not regard the things most closely associated with
God as common or ordinary, but give them special consideration, and deep respect. The
oils ("oil for the light" and "anointing oil"), "fragrant incense," and the flour for the daily
meal ("continual grain") "offering," were the special responsibility of Eleazar, the heir to
the high priest's office (v. 16). God also explained the responsibilities of the Gershonites
(vv. 21-28) and the Merarites (vv. 29-33).
There were "8,580" Levites who were fit for service (v. 48). A Levite had to be at least
("from") "30 years (and upward)," and not more than ("even to") "50 years old," in order
to participate in these acts of ministry (cf. 8:23-26).
"The service of God requires the best of our strength, and the prime of our
time, which cannot be better spent than to the honour of him who is the
first and best. And a man may make a good soldier much sooner than a
good minister."44
"The truth is that all work in the kingdom of God is royal service, however
unostentatious and, from the human standpoint, lowly and insignificant."45
"The sense of order and organization already observed in this book comes
to its finest point in this chapter. Again, we observe that the standard
pattern in Hebrew prose is a movement from the general to the specific,
from the broad to the particular. Chapters 1—4 follow this concept
nicely. . . . The chapters have moved from the nation as a whole to the
particular families of the one tribe that has responsibility to maintain the
symbols of Israel's worship of the Lord. Each chapter gets more specific,
more narrow in focus, with the central emphasis on the worship of the
Lord at the Tent of Meeting."46
43Smick,
p. 117.
Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, p. 146.
45Philip, p. 63.
46Allen, p. 731.
44Matthew
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"The chapters [i.e., 3—4] also remind us that not everybody has the same
burdens to bear. . . . There are some burdens we can share (Gal. 6:2), but
there are other burdens that only we can bear ([Gal. 6:] v. 5)."47
A prominent emphasis in this book appears again at the end of this chapter (v. 51). Moses
carried out the Lord's commands exactly (cf. 1:54; 3:33-34; 4:42; Heb. 3:5).
2. Commands and rituals to observe in preparation for entering the
land chs. 5—9
God gave the following laws to maintain holiness in the nation, so He could continue to
dwell among His people and bless them. This was particularly important, because Israel
would soon depart from Sinai to enter the Promised Land, in which she would need to be
holy to be victorious over her enemies. These were requirements for the whole nation, not
just the priests.
"Between covenant promise and covenant possession lay a process of
rigorous journey through hostile opposition of terrain and terror. Israel had
to understand that occupation of the land could be achieved only through
much travail, for Canaan, like creation itself, was under alien dominion
and it had to be wrested away by force, by the strong arm of Yahweh, who
would fight on behalf of His people."48
Note the importance of proper interpersonal relationships in these chapters.
Holiness among the people chs. 5—6
These chapters are similar to what we read in Leviticus, in that they explain the
importance of holiness among the Israelites.
The purity of the camp 5:1-4
"The purpose of the writer is to show that at this point in the narrative,
Israel's leaders, Moses and Aaron, were following God's will and the
people were following them obediently. This theme will not continue long,
however. The narrative will soon turn a corner and begin to show that the
people quickly deviated from God's way and, with their leaders, Moses
and Aaron, failed to continue to trust in God."49
God ordered that individuals who were ceremonially unclean should not live within their
tribal communities, but should reside on the outskirts of the camp during their
uncleanness. The reason for this regulation was not any discrimination against these
people based on personal inferiority. It was the need to separate the unclean, as long as
47Wiersbe,
p. 316.
"A Theology . . .," p. 60.
49Sailhamer, p. 376.
48Merrill,
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
they were unclean, from the holy God of Israel who dwelt in the center of the camp. The
closer one lived to God, the greater was his or her need for personal holiness. In view of
the other passages that deal with lepers, people with discharges, and people who are
unclean because of a dead person (i.e., Lev. 13; 15; Num. 19), the requirement that these
people be excluded from the camp must refer to extreme cases.50
"The Rabbis had a saying which has come down to the modern Western
world via the preaching of John Wesley and Matthew Henry, 'Cleanliness
is next to godliness,' which catches this suggestion of inseparability."51
"This is the foundation principle of discipline, that the Holy One Himself
being in the camp, the camp must be holy. This principle applies to the
Church today."52
Treachery against others and God 5:5-10
To emphasize the importance of maintaining proper interpersonal relationships within the
camp, Moses repeated the law concerning the restitution of and compensation for a
trespass against one's neighbor here (cf. Lev. 5:14—6:7; Matt. 5:23-24). The expression
"sins of mankind" (v. 6) can refer either to sins committed by a human being, or to sins
committed against a human being.53 The context favors the latter option.
Added instructions covered another case. This was a person who could not fulfill his
responsibilities because the person against whom he had committed the trespass, or that
person's near kinsman, had died or did not exist. In this case, the guilty party had to make
"restitution" and compensation to the priests (v. 8).
Trespasses against one's neighbor (cf. Lev. 6:1-7) needed atonement, because they
constituted acts of "unfaithfulness" to God (v. 6). The Israelites had to maintain proper
horizontal relationships with their neighbors—in order to maintain a proper vertical
relationship with Yahweh (cf. Matt. 5:23-24).
"The point is clear—wrongs committed against God's people were
considered wrongs committed against God himself."54
"In this way, the Lord taught His people that sin is costly and hurts people,
and that true repentance demands honest restitution."55
50Smick,
p. 118.
p. 43.
52Baxter, 1:168.
53Maarsingh, p. 22.
54Sailhamer, p. 376. Cf. Ps. 51:4.
55Wiersbe, p. 318.
51Riggans,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
The law of jealousy 5:11-31
The point of this section is: the importance of maintaining purity in the marriage
relationship in order to preserve God's blessing on Israel. Marriage is the most basic
interpersonal relationship.
In verses 11-15, the writer explained the first steps that an Israelite man who suspected
his wife of unfaithfulness should take. The offering (v. 15) was a special meal offering,
"a grain offering of memorial." Usually the grain used in the meal offering was wheat
ground into fine flour, but in this instance the man presented "barley" flour. Barley cost
only half as much as wheat (2 Kings 7:1, 16, 18). It was the food of the poor and the
cattle in the ancient Near East (Judg. 7:13; 1 Kings 5:8 [sic 4:28]; 2 Kings 4:42; Ezek.
4:12). It may have represented, ". . . the questionable repute in which the woman stood,
or the ambiguous, suspicious character of her conduct."56
The meal offering was, of course, representative of the works that an individual presented
to God. In this case, it was also an offering that the man gave in "jealousy," as a
"memorial" or remembrance. This meant that he presented it in order to bring his wife's
crime to the Lord's remembrance, so that He might judge it.
The "earthenware vessel" into which the priest poured the water from the laver was of
little value relative to the other utensils of the sanctuary. It was, therefore, an appropriate
container for this test. The "dust" he added to the water probably symbolized the curse of
sin. It is what causes humans grief as they toil for a living because of sin's curse. Another
possibility is that the dust was designed to remind the Israelites of man's humble origin
(Gen. 2:7) and his ultimate destiny: death (Ps. 22:15).57
"Since this dust has been in God's presence, it is holy. As has been said
before, one who is unclean is in great danger in the presence of the
holy."58
The release of the woman's hair, which was normally bound up, represented the
temporary loss of her glory (i.e., her good reputation). Other possibilities are that it
symbolized her openness,59 mourning,60 or uncleanness.61
Medical doctor/Bible teacher M. R. DeHaan offered a natural, as opposed to a
supernatural, explanation of what happened in this trial by ordeal, that has captured the
imagination of some evangelicals. He believed that the treated (test) water that the
woman drank, reacted to the chemical composition of the juices in her digestive system
("cause[d] bitterness"), that had become abnormal because of her guilt. Science has
56Keil
and Delitzsch, 3:31.
p. 319.
58Ashley, p. 129.
59Allen, p. 746.
60Merrill, "Numbers," in The Old . . ., p. 107.
61Ashley, p. 129.
57Wiersbe,
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
established that certain emotions and nervous disturbances change the chemical
composition of our bodily secretions. While this might be what produced the symptoms
described in the text, DeHaan erred, I believe, in interpreting the "dust" (v. 17) that the
priest mixed with the water as a "bitter herb."
"We believe that, if we knew the identity of the bitter herb which Moses
used, the same test would work today."62
The physical symptoms of God's judgment on the woman, if she was guilty (vv. 23, 27),
point to a special affliction—rather than one of the natural diseases that overtook the
Israelites. Josephus said it was ordinary dropsy.63 This seems unlikely, in view of how
Moses described her condition. Merrill believed her sense of guilt produced a
psychosomatic reaction.64 Noordtzij concluded that the woman's pregnancy resulted in a
miscarriage because the bitter water destroyed the fetus.65 It is interesting, whatever the
cause, that the punishment fell on the very organs that had been the instruments of the
woman's sin.
"The thigh is often used as a euphemism for the sexual organs."66
"The most probable explanation for the phrase ['and make your abdomen
swell and your thigh waste away'] . . . is that the woman suffers a collapse
of the sexual organs known as a prolapsed uterus. In this condition, which
may occur after multiple pregnancies, the pelvis floor (weakened by the
pregnancies) collapses, and the uterus literally falls down. It may lodge in
the vagina, or it may actually fall out of the body through the vagina. If it
does so, it becomes edematous and swells up like a balloon. Conception
becomes impossible, and the woman's procreative life has effectively
ended . . ."67
Apparently the translators of the New Revised Standard Version took the view described
above, since they rendered the phrase in question: "when the LORD makes your womb
discharge . . . your uterus drop!" (vv. 21-22, et al.).
62M.
R. DeHaan, The Chemistry of the Blood and Other Stirring Messages, p. 48.
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 3:11:6. Josephus was not a divinely inspired historian, but his
history is generally reliable.
64Merrill, "Numbers," The Bible . . ., p. 222; and idem, "Numbers," in The Old . . ., p. 107.
65Noordtzij, p. 57. Cf. Smick, p. 120; The Nelson Study Bible, p. 237.
66Riggans, p. 50. Cf. Gen. 24:2, 9; 47:29.
67Tikva Frymer-Kensky, "The Strange Case of the Suspected Sotah (Numbers V 11-31)," Vetus
Testamentum 34:1 (January 1984):20-21. See also the same author's more popularly written article, "The
Trial Before God of an Accused Adultress," Bible Review 2:3 (Fall 1986):46-49, which, by the way,
provides supporting evidence for the widespread prohibition of polygamy in the ancient Near East. Other
helpful resources are Michael Fishbane, "Accusations of Adultery: A Study of Law and Scribal Practice in
Numbers 5:11-31," Hebrew Union College Annual 45 (1974):25-45; Herbert Chanan Brichto, "The Case of
the Sota and a Reconsideration of Biblical 'Law,'" Hebrew Union College Annual 46 (1975):55-70; W.
McKane, "Poison, Trial by Ordeal and the Cup of Wrath," Vetus Testamentum 30:4 (October 1980):474-92;
and Ashley, pp. 132-33.
63Flavius
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
Verses 23-28 explain additional acts that were to take place before the woman drank the
water. They are not in chronological sequence with verses 16-22. Drinking the water was
the last step in the ritual, which took place in the tabernacle courtyard.
"The thought expressed here is that that which is written is dissolved in the
water and imparts to the water the power inherent in the words so that the
water can accomplish that of which the words speak (we must remember
that to Israel and the ancient Near Eastern world words were more than
sounds; they had power)."68
"The ritual trial of the Sotah [suspected adulteress] ended with the
drinking of the potion. Nothing further was done, and we can assume that
the woman went home to await the results at some future time."69
The man whom Moses referred to in verse 31 is "the man" who accused his wife of
unfaithfulness. He incurred no guilt before God for being jealous of his wife's fidelity.
This case raises some questions: Why was only the woman punished if she had been
unfaithful? The answer seems to be that her male companion in sin was unknown. If she
was proven to be unfaithful, and the adulterer was identifiable, both partners should have
suffered death by stoning (Lev. 20:10).
What about a wife who suspected that her husband had been unfaithful to her? Did she
not have the same recourse as the husband? Evidently she did not. The Israelites were to
observe God's revealed line of authority consistently. A man was directly responsible to
God, but a woman was directly responsible to her father (if unmarried) or her husband (if
married). Thus a wife was responsible to her husband in a way that the husband was not
responsible to his wife. This does not mean that marital infidelity was a worse sin for a
wife than it was for a husband. It simply explains how God wanted the Israelites to
handle infidelity in the case of a wife. Perhaps God Himself retained the responsibility
for judging a husband who was unfaithful to his wife (cf. Heb. 13:4).
This procedure protected the wife of an extremely jealous husband, who might otherwise
continue to accuse her. He would suffer shame by her proven innocence, and public
embarrassment, since this was a public ceremony.
"This legislation forbids human punishment of a woman on the basis of
suspicion alone, and, in fact, protects her from what could be a death
sentence at the hands of the community."70
"Marital deceit is a matter of such seriousness that the truth must be
discovered. It is harmful to the sanctity of the community at large, and
destructive of one of the bases of community life."71
68Noordtzij,
p. 56.
69Frymer-Kensky,
70Ashley,
p. 135.
71Budd, p. 66.
"The Strange . . .," p. 22.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
". . . this particular case law is included here because it gives another
illustration of God's personal involvement in the restitution for the sin of
the nation. Within God's covenant with Israel, there could be no hidden sin
among God's people nor any hidden suspicion of sin.
"The law of jealousy shows that through the role of the priest, God was
actively at work in the nation and that no sin of any sort could be tolerated
among God's holy people."72
Maintaining purity in marriage is likewise essential to assure God's blessing in the church
(cf. 1 Pet. 3:7; Heb. 13:4).
The Nazirite vow 6:1-21
"After the law for the discovery and shame of those that by sin had made
themselves vile [in 5:11-31], there follows this for the direction and
encouragement of those who by their eminent piety and devotion had
made themselves honourable."73
The emphasis in this section continues to be on the importance of maintaining purity in
the camp, so that God's blessing on Israel might continue unabated.
The "Nazirite" (from the Hebrew root nazar, meaning "to separate") illustrated the
consecrated character of all the Israelites, and of the nation as a whole, in an especially
visible way.
The Nazirite "vow of separation" was normally temporary. There are two biblical
examples of life-long Nazirites: Samson and Samuel. John the Baptist may have been a
third case, but we do not know for sure that he lived as a Nazirite before he began his
public ministry. This "vow of separation" was also normally voluntary. Any male or
female could take this vow, that involved dedication to God's service. The vow itself
required three commitments. These were not the vow itself, but grew out of it as
consequences:
1.
The separated one abstained from any and all fruits of the "grape vine" (v. 4).
Perhaps God commanded this because: ". . . its fruit was regarded as the sum and
substance of all sensual enjoyment."74 Other passages link strong drink (wine or
hard liquor) with the neglect of God's law (e.g., Gen. 9:20-27; 19:32-38; Prov.
31:4-6; Hab. 2:5).
"In itself, wine culture was considered to be good—Israelites regarded the
harvest of their vineyards as a blessing—but there was also a dangerous
side to it: the possibility of lapsing into a pagan lifestyle."75
72Sailhamer,
p. 377.
p. 147.
74Keil and Delitzsch, 3:35. Cf. Riggans, p. 53.
75Maarsingh, pp. 25-26.
73Henry,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2.
2016 Edition
The Nazirite was required to leave his or her hair uncut ("no razor shall pass over
his head . . . he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long"; v. 5). The
significance of this restriction has had many interpretations by the commentators,
as have the other restrictions. The most probable explanation, I believe, connects
with the fact that hair represented the strength and vitality of the individual (cf.
Judg. 16:17; 2 Sam. 14:25-26).76 The long hair of the Nazirite would have
symbolized the dedication of the Nazirite's strength and vigor to God.
"There might also have been a negative reason [for] this prescription. In
many nations at this time, people devoted their hair to their gods."77
"Hair is representative of life itself, for only a living man produces hair.
He offered it, therefore, in place of his own body, as a sign that he himself
was a 'living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God.'"78
3.
The third commitment was to avoid any physical contact with a human corpse
("do not go near to a dead person"). This is perhaps the easiest restriction to
explain. It seems that since the Nazirite had dedicated himself to a period of
separation to God, and from sin, he should avoid contact with the product of sin,
namely, death. Perhaps, too, since death was an abnormal condition, contact with
dead bodies caused defilement.
If the Nazirite broke his vow through no fault of his own, he had to follow the prescribed
ritual for cleansing, and then begin the period of his vow again (vv. 9-12).
". . . there was the recognition that some things in life superseded the
requirements of the vow. If someone died suddenly in one's presence, for
example, the vow could be temporarily suspended (v. 9). After the
emergency had passed, there were provisions for completing the vow (vv.
10-12ff)."79
The Nazirite did not withdraw from society, except in the particulars of these restrictions.
He lived an active life of service in Israel. His dedication to God did not remove him
from society, but affected his motivation and activities as he lived.
The Nazirite lived as a priest temporarily, in the sense that he lived under more stringent
laws of holiness, and served God more directly than other Israelites did. His service was
not generally the same as the priests', but sometimes it involved some sanctuary service,
as well as other types of service (e.g., Samuel).
"This law specifically shows that there were provisions not just for the
priest but for all members of God's people to commit themselves wholly to
God. Complete holiness was not the sole prerogative of the priesthood or
76Cf.
Ashley, p. 143.
p. 26.
78Smick, p. 120.
79Sailhamer, pp. 377-78.
77Maarsingh,
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
the Levites. The Nazirite vow shows that even laypersons, men and
women in everyday walks of life, could enter into a state of complete
devotion to God. Thus this segment of text teaches that any person in
God's nation could be totally committed to holiness."80
When the time of the Nazirite's vow expired, he had to go through a prescribed ritual
called "the law of the Nazirite" (vv. 13, 21). Burning his cut hair on the brazen altar
under his peace offering (v. 18) probably symbolized giving (dedicating) to God the
strength and vigor that he had previously employed in His service. It also ensured that no
one would misuse his hair, possibly in a pagan ritual. The Nazirite ate part of his "vow
fulfillment offering" (v. 19). He thus physically enjoyed part of the fruits of his
dedication to God.
"Nobody is saved by making and keeping a vow. Salvation is a gift of God
to those who believe, not a reward to those who behave."81
God did not require the taking of vows under the Mosaic Law (cf. Lev. 27). Consequently
the fact that Paul took a Nazirite vow (Acts 18:18), and paid the expenses of others who
had taken one (Acts 21:26), does not indicate that he was living under the Law of Moses.
He was simply practicing a Jewish custom, that had prevailed into the Church Age, as the
Mosaic Law regulated that custom. He did this to win Jews to Jesus Christ, not because
as a Christian Jew he was under the Mosaic Law (1 Cor. 9:19-23)—he was not.
"It can hardly be denied that there is a desperate need in the church today
for such leadership, for men utterly given over to God for His purposes—
not men of fanatical zeal (which can very often be fleshly and even
devilish), but men of controlled fire, men who can truly say, 'One thing I
do' (Phil. 3:13), men of whom it can be said that the love of Christ
constrains them, giving their lives depth, drive, and direction in the service
of God."82
Though Jesus was not a Nazirite, He exemplified what those dedicated to God should
look like in their behavior, regardless of when they happen to live.
Remember, Christians are not under the Mosaic Law (Mark 7:18-19; Acts 10:12-15;
15:19-20; Rom. 7:1-4; 10:4; 14:17; 1 Cor. 8:8; Gal. 3:24; 4:9-11; Col. 2:16-17; Heb.
7:12; 9:8-12). Some well-meaning Christian teachers, throughout the centuries, have been
confusing many believers, by encouraging them to submit to certain regulations that are
unique to the Mosaic Law. This is legalism. If someone chooses not to eat pork, for
example, for health reasons, that is entirely up to him or her. But if that person thinks that
he or she will be more pleasing to God by not doing so, they are mistaken (cf. Acts 10; 1
Tim. 4:1-5). There is more personal freedom under the New Covenant than there was
under the Old.
80Ibid.,
p. 377.
p. 320.
82Philip, pp. 86-87.
81Wiersbe,
25
26
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
The Aaronic benediction 6:22-27
The location of this benediction in this context indicates that one of the priest's central
tasks was to be a source of blessing for God's people. This blessing, like the preceding
Nazirite legislation, deals with the purification of Israel. As the nation prepared to move
out toward the Promised Land, God gave this benediction to the priests to offer for the
sanctification of the people. God's will was to bless all His people, not just the Nazirites.
The priests were the mediators of this blessing from God to the Israelites.
"Whereas Nazirites generally undertook their vows for a short period, the
priests were always there pronouncing this blessing at the close of the
daily morning service in the temple and later in the synagogues."83
This blessing was threefold, and each segment contained two parts. In each line of poetry,
the second part was a particular application of the general request stated in the first part.
The first part hoped for God's action, that would result in the people's benefit in the
second part. The three blessings were increasingly emphatic. Even the structure of the
blessing in Hebrew is artful. Line one consists of 15 letters (3 words), line two of 20
letters (5 words), and line three of 25 letters (7 words).
"Each of the three clauses, in a different way, gives expression to God's
commitment to Israel—a commitment which promises earthly security,
prosperity, and general well-being."84
The first blessing is the most general ("The LORD bless you, and keep you"; v. 24). God's
"blessing" is His goodness poured out. The priest called on Him not only to provide for
His people, but to defend ("keep," guard) them from all evil (cf. Matt. 6:13).
The second blessing is more specific ("The LORD make His face shine on you, and be
gracious to you"; v. 25). God's "face" is the revelation of His personality (i.e., Himself) to
people. It radiates as fire does, consuming evil and bestowing light and warmth, and it
shines as the sun, promoting life. God's graciousness refers to the manifestation of His
favor and grace in the events of life.
The third blessing is the most specific ("The LORD lift up His countenance on you, and
give you peace"; v. 26). "Lifting up the countenance" refers to manifesting power. The
priests, in pronouncing this blessing, would be calling on God to manifest His "power"
for His people. Specifically, this would produce "peace" (Heb. shalom). "Shalom" does
not mean simply the absence of aggravation; it is the sum of all God's blessings.
"The two main elements in the oracle are 'grace and peace.' It is probable
that the Apostle Paul based his salutations on this oracle."85
83G.
Wenham, p. 89.
p. 77.
85The NET Bible note on 6:22.
84Budd,
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"Excavations of a tomb overlooking the Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem
[Ketef Hinnom, 1979] brought to light a small silver scroll containing a
tiny inscription bearing the words of the priestly benediction of Numbers
6:24-26. This sheds light on Hebrew orthography and morphology. Also
its date (ca. seventh century B.C.) long precedes the composition of the P
document of historical-critical scholarship (450 B.C.), thus undermining
the hypothesis to that degree."86
One writer suggested the following alternative translation of verse 27:
"And when they shall name me the Most High of the Israelites, I, on my
part, will bless them."87
This rendering seems to capture the spirit of God's promise in this benediction. This
blessing has always been a very important part of Israel's worship, even to the present
day, in Judaism.
"This was a type of Christ's errand into the world, which was to bless us
(Acts iii. 26), as the high priest of our profession."88
". . . the high priestly blessing was pronounced whenever the nation of
Israel gathered for collective worship and sacrifice as well as when the
individual Israelite brought sacrifices to the LORD. The nature of the
blessing was that of an oracle, a sure word from God that He had accepted
the sacrifice and was pleased with the worshipper. The contents of the
blessing were protection, gracious dealings, and peace with God, which
assuredly produced the effect of joy, security, and confidence on the part
of the people."89
"Some people suggest that only spontaneous prayer is 'real' prayer; verses such as
these show that such sentiment is not correct."90
". . . the Aaronic blessing concludes the section of text dealing with the bulk of
Israel's priestly legislation, and, implicitly, promises that if these laws are kept,
the blessing of God will follow. The material in this major section (Lev. 1—
Num. 6) comes between the date of the erection of the tabernacle and the
movement of the camp some fifty days later (Num. 10:11)."91
86Eugene
Merrill, "The Veracity of the Word: A Summary of Major Archaeological Finds," Kindred Spirit
34:3 (Winter 2010):13.
87Pieter de Boer, "Numbers vi 27," Vetus Testamentum 32:1 (January 1982):13.
88Henry, p. 148.
89Neil W. Arnold, "The High Priestly Blessing," Exegesis and Exposition 2:1 (Summer 1987):50. See also
"The Priestly Blessing," Buried History 18:2 (June 1982):27-30. For other instances of the use of this
blessing, see Michael Fishbane, "Form and Reformulation of the Biblical Priestly Blessing," Journal of the
American Oriental Society 103:1 (January-March 1983):115-21; and Leon Liebreich, "The Songs of
Ascents and the Priestly Blessing," Journal of Biblical Literature 74 (1955):33-36.
90Allen, p. 754.
91Ashley, pp. 149-50.
27
28
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
The dedication of the tabernacle chs. 7—9
The revelation of ordinances and instructions designed to enhance the spiritual
sanctification of the Israelites as they journeyed to the Promised Land ends with
chapter 6. The narrative of events that transpired just before the nation began marching
resumes with chapter 7. Chronologically, chapters 7—9 precede chapters 1—6.
The offerings at the dedication ch. 7
The "presentation" this chapter records—an elaborate ceremony of dedicatory offerings
lasting 12 days—jumps back chronologically, and took place at the time when the
Israelites dedicated the tabernacle and the brazen altar (vv. 1-2; cf. Lev. 8:10).
"The purpose of this section of narrative is to show that as the people had
been generous in giving to the construction of the tabernacle (Ex 35:4-29),
now they showed the same generosity in its dedication."92
First, the 12 Israelite tribes presented as a contribution gift "six wagons (covered carts)"
and "12 oxen" to the Merarite and Gershonite Levites, to use in their service of carrying
the materials of the tabernacle (vv. 1-9). Of the six wagons, the Gershonites received two
wagons and the Merarites four. The Kohathites needed no wagons, since they carried the
sanctuary furniture with poles on their shoulders (cf. 2 Sam. 6:3, 7-8).
"Observe here, How [sic] God wisely and graciously ordered the most
strength to those that had the most work."93
Day in second year94
Day 1, first month
Day 8, first month
Day 12, first month
Day 14, first month
Day 1, second month
Day 14, second month
Day 20, second month
92Sailhamer,
Event
Completion of tabernacle
Laws for offerings begin
Offerings for altar begin
Ordination of priests begins
Ordination of priests completed
Offerings for altar completed
Appointment of Levites
Second Passover
Census begins
Passover for those unclean
The cloud moves, the camp begins
its trek
p. 379.
p. 148.
94Allen, p. 757, after G. Wenham, p. 91.
93Henry,
Text
Exod. 40:2; Num. 7:1
Lev. 1:1
Num. 7:3
Lev. 8:1
Lev. 9:1
Num. 7:78
Num. 8:5
Num. 9:2
Num. 1:1
Num. 9:11
Num. 10:11
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
This long section—this chapter is the second longest in the Bible—records the
presentation of gifts for the altar (v. 10) by each tribal prince (vv. 12-88). The longest
chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119. The Israelites spread the presentation out over 12 days,
one per day, because it took a whole day to receive and sacrifice what each tribe
presented.
Each tribe offered exactly the same gifts. "one silver dish" and "one silver bowl," each
"full of fine flour mixed with oil," "one gold pan full of incense," a year-old "bull,"
"ram," and "male lamb" ("for a burnt offering"), a "male goat" ("for a sin offering"), "two
oxen," "five rams," "five male goats," "five male lambs" (for "peace offerings") No tribe
was superior or inferior to the others in this respect. Each had equal privilege and
responsibility before God to worship and serve Him.
Moses faithfully recorded the presentation of each gift, even though the record is
repetitious and reads redundantly, probably because each gift had equal value before God
(cf. Heb. 6:10).
"The account may strike us as repetitious, but this sort of formula was
used by people in the ancient Eastern world to reflect ever-increasing joy:
look how much these many people gave for their altar!"95
"The passage was designed to be read aloud in a slow and stately manner.
As each tribal leader and his tribe was mentioned, members of that tribe
would take special pleasure. Each would sense, 'These were our gifts. This
was our moment to give to the Lord.' Chapter 7 presents a scene of
pageantry, pomp, ceremony, and ritual."96
"The chapter stands as a monument to the pleasure of God who took
enjoyment from the repetition—for these were grand gifts in the good
days of his early relationship with his people. These were the honeymoon
days of the marital relationship of the Lord and Israel (see Jer 2:2-3). Each
of the gifts is relished, as presentations by a lover in the early days of the
bliss of marriage."97
"The fact that God noted and recorded each name and each gift indicates
His love for and interest in the individual believer. He knows our names
(John 10:3) and has recorded them individually in His heavenly register
(Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3). When we stand before the Lord, He will see us
individually, 'and then shall every man have praise of God' (1 Cor. 4:5)
and 'every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor'
([1 Cor.] 3:8). Nobody will be overlooked and nobody will be lost in the
crowd."98
95Maarsingh,
p. 29.
Nelson . . ., p. 241.
97Allen, p. 756.
98Wiersbe, p. 321.
96The
29
30
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
The fact that Moses "heard God's (the) voice speaking to him" when "he went into" the
tabernacle, from the Most Holy Place, from above the mercy seat, indicates God's
acceptance of these gifts (v. 89). They touched His heart. Moses, as the representative of
the nation, and God, enjoyed a close relationship because of this sacrifice of worship.
Evidently Moses heard "a (the) voice" speaking to him "from above the mercy seat . . .
between the two cherubim"—and that voice was God's!
"The offering of the princes, then, was the spontaneous response of
grateful hearts to the goodness and grace of God. This sets the question of
Christian liberality in its true perspective, and the scriptural principle is
not difficult to see. Where people are conscious of the blessing of God in
their lives, they will give spontaneously—and keep on giving. Finance in
the church is directly related to faith and consecration."99
Note the moral order evidenced in chapters 6 and 7. First there was separation (6:1-12),
then worship (6:13-21), then blessing (6:22-27), and then service (ch. 7; cf. Heb. 13:1216).
The lighting of the lamps 8:1-4
The lighting of and continual burning of the "lamps" in the tabernacle symbolized the
consecration of the Levites, who were to represent the whole nation as lights to the world
(vv. 1-4; cf. Isa. 42:6). The high priest was in charge of the "lampstand" (cf. Rev. 1:20—
3:22).
The consecration of the Levites 8:5-26
The consecration of the priests had taken place earlier (cf. Lev. 8). On that occasion the
people had only looked on (Lev. 8:3-4). Now God was setting apart to His service the
whole tribe of Levi ("the Levites"), that He had taken (substituted as His dedicated "first
fruits offering") in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites (vv. 16-18). This time
the people played a role, by "lay[ing] their hands" on the Levites (v. 10). The Levites
stood in the place of the people as their close representatives, whereas the priests were
closer to God and further from the people.
The consecration ("separation") proceeded after the high priest had lit the lamps (vv. 522). First, the Levites "washed" (their bodies and "clothes" with "purifying water") and
trimmed their hair (shaved "their whole body"; Heb. 'abar ta'ar 'al), to symbolize and
effect cleansing, then the Israelites placed their hands on them, portraying the
transference of responsibility from the firstborn sons to them (vv. 10, 12). Thus the
Levites became "living sacrifices" unto God (cf. Rom. 6:13; 12:1-2). Shaving their whole
bodies (v. 7) may have symbolized a return to innocence.100
99Philip,
100The
p. 100.
Nelson . . ., p. 243.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
Only Levites between the ages of "25" and "50 years" old could "perform service" in the
tent of meeting (vv. 23-26). Carrying the tabernacle each time the nation traveled was a
task for which there were stricter qualifications (cf. 4:47), probably because of the
dangers connected with this service (cf. 4:15, 20). As stated previously, the Levites had to
be between 30 to 50 years old to carry the tabernacle (cf. 4:3). Perhaps the five years of
difference, between the Levites' minimum age to serve in the tabernacle, and to carry the
tabernacle, were an apprenticeship.101
"The distinctive emphasis of this section is that the Levites are
nevertheless not remote from the community. Through the laying on of
hands they in some sense represent the people at large, and constitute an
offering from the people. Unlike the priests they do not receive anointing
or special vestments. Like laymen they wash their clothes for the special
rites. They are perhaps something of a bridge between priests and
people."102
"Chapter 8 deals with two issues: lamps and Levites. Both the proper
setting of the lamps and the distinction of the Levites from the community
are further elements in the purification of the nation in preparation for the
holy task God had prepared for her. . . . May one suggest that as the lamps
were to be properly focused on the bread of the Presence, so the Levites
were to have their proper stance within the community as well?"103
The Passover at Sinai and instructions for a supplementary Passover 9:1-14
On the first anniversary of the Passover in Egypt, just after the Israelites had dedicated
the tabernacle, they observed this feast as a memorial feast ("appointed time"), just as
God "had commanded" (v. 5). This first memorial Passover feast took place in the first
month of the second year after the Exodus (v. 1). The census in chapter 1 occurred in the
second month of the same year (1:1). This fact shows that at least these two events
(census and Passover), as described in Numbers, are not in chronological order.
God graciously gave an ordinance, that people who were "unclean" or were on a
"journey" when the rest of the nation celebrated the Passover, could eat it exactly one
month later ("in the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight"; vv. 10-11).
However, to preclude negligence in observing the primary Passover, in view of this
exception, God prescribed the death penalty for anyone who did not observe it at the
preferred time if he or she could (v. 13). This regulation applied equally to foreigners
("aliens") living among the Israelites, who had identified with the Abrahamic Covenant
through circumcision (v. 14; cf. Exod. 12:48-49). Most of the males were already
circumcised (cf. Josh. 5:5)
101Ibid.,
p. 244; Wiersbe, p. 323.
p. 94.
103Allen, p. 764.
102Budd,
31
32
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
"The purpose of including this segment of narrative was perhaps to show
that God's laws were not arbitrary and unreasonable. The Israelites
themselves even played a part in their formulation."104
The covering cloud 9:15-23
The time had come for the Israelites to resume their journey, now that the people had
celebrated the Passover. All that remained for the Israelites to know (i.e., to learn
regarding their knowledge of God's will), was how God would lead them. Moses
recorded God's revelation of that in this section.
The cloudy pillar ("the cloud") stood over ("covered") "the tabernacle" (vv. 15-16).
Apparently it did not cover the entire camp of Israel. God may have chosen a "pillar of
cloud" to lead Israel, in order to teach: His heavenly origin, sovereignty over His people,
protection (from heat and cold), provision (shelter), and presence (as at Mt. Sinai).
"Like the Tabernacle, Canaan would be a focal point of Yahweh's
residence among men, the place where His sovereignty would find
historical expression through His specially chosen people."105
The comparatively lengthy description of God's direction of Israel with the cloud ("at" or
"according to the command of the LORD," 7 times; vv. 17-23) indicates God's sovereign
and purposeful leadership of His people. The Israelites were to remain where they were
camped exactly as long as God wanted them to remain at each encampment. Their
experiences along the way were not accidental but providential. This description also
expressed the "excitement of the occasion."106
One way the Israelites discovered how God was leading them, was to look at the
revelation of Himself that He provided in the cloud. He did not explain His movements,
but their duty was to follow in faith.
"The writer is intent on showing that at this point in their walk with the
Lord, Israel was obedient and followed the Lord's guidance. The writer's
concern to make this point can be seen in that seven times in this brief
narrative, it is said that they 'obeyed the commandment of the Lord' and
thus traveled when the cloud lifted from the tabernacle and moved (9:18,
20, 23; cf. Ex 17:1)."107
"To assist us today in determining and doing God's will, we have the Holy
Spirit within us (Rom. 8:26-27; Acts 16:6-7), the Word of God before us
(Ps. 119:105), and the interceding Savior above us who providentially
works on our behalf (Rom. 8:28-34)."108
104Sailhamer,
p. 380.
"A Theology . . .," p. 60.
106G. Wenham, pp. 100-101.
107Sailhamer, p. 381.
108Wiersbe, p. 324.
105Merrill,
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
The chapter closes with another reference to the Israelites' careful and exact obedience to
Yahweh's instructions ("they kept the LORD's charge, according to the command of the
LORD through Moses"), an important theme in this book.
3. The departure from Sinai ch. 10
The two silver trumpets 10:1-10
God ordered that the priests (Aaron's sons) must announce His movement of the people
by blowing "two silver trumpets," because the Israelites would not be able to watch the
cloud continuously, or perhaps could not see it from every part of the camp. The blasts
from the "trumpets," sounded for "summoning the [entire] congregation," would reach
the farthest tents in the camp (cf. 1 Thess. 4:16-17).
"Whereas the cloud in Num. 9:15-23 represents the divine initiative in
leadership the trumpets constitute the response of the human leadership as
it summons the congregation to gather at the tent, and signals the moment
of advance for each tribal group."109
The size and shape of these trumpets probably approximated those that appear on a panel
on the Arch of Titus that still stands in Rome.110 If so, they were long and straight. The
Israelites may have fashioned them after Egyptian models, pictures of which appear on
several old Egyptian monuments.
The priests also used these trumpets in times of "war" in Canaan. They used them to call
the people to arms, and to remind them to seek God's help so He would deliver them
(v. 9). They also announced the "feasts" of Israel, and the "first [day] of each new month
(of your months)," to remind the people to remember their God ("as a reminder of you
before your God"; v. 10).
"Even when the trumpets sounded, there was never to be a pell-mell rush
of the people. The tone throughout this section is one of discipline and
order. God is a God of order, and this would be reflected in the conduct of
the Israelites' camp (see 1 Cor. 14:40; Eph. 4.)"111
In this chapter, we have the first reference to the new moon celebration ("first of your
months"; v. 10). The appearance of the new moon signaled the beginning of a new
month. The Jews viewed the first day of each new month as consecrated to God, in a way
similar to the Sabbath (cf. Isa. 1:13). They marked this fresh beginning with special
sacrifices (28:11-15), over which the priests blew the silver trumpets (v. 10; Ps. 81:3). On
the new moon of the seventh month, the Feast of Trumpets, the people did no work (Lev.
23:25-25; Num. 29:1-6; 2 Kings 4:23). In Israel's later history, the priests blew these
trumpets on other festal occasions as well (Ezra 3:10; Neh. 12:35, 41; 1 Chron. 15:24;
16:6; 2 Chron. 5:12; 7:6; 29:27).
109Budd,
p. 107.
Jack Finegan, Light from the Ancient Past, p. 329 and fig. 120.
111The Nelson . . ., p. 246.
110See
33
34
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
"The impression that this narrative intends to give is that of an orderly and
obedient departure from Sinai. The picture is a far cry from the scene
which Moses saw when he first returned from the mountain and found the
nation celebrating before the golden calf: 'the people were running wild
and Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock
to their enemies' (Ex 32:25). In other words, the author is trying to make a
point with this narrative. He shows that after the incident of the golden
calf the Mosaic Law was able to bring order and obedience to the nation.
The Law, necessitated by the disobedience of the people, was having its
effect on them."112
As the nation left Mt. Sinai, the people were at their strongest spiritually, having received
the Law and having committed themselves to following it faithfully.
"Holy work should be done with holy joy."113
The first 10 chapters of Numbers contrast with the next 10, which record Israel's terrible
regression and failure.
The journey from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea 10:11-36
The Israelites had been at Mt. Sinai for almost one year (Exod. 19:1; Num. 10:11). All
that Moses recorded as occurring between Exodus 19:1 and Numbers 10:11 took place
during those twelve months.
Israel's Locations (Exodus through Numbers)
EXODUS
LEVITICUS
NUMBERS
Sinai
Egypt
Kadesh
in Transit
1
13
19
in Transit
40
1
1
27
CHAPTERS
112Sailhamer,
113Henry,
p. 381.
p. 150.
Moab
10
19
13
20
15
22
36
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
Even though the eastern Sinai Peninsula contains several oases, and some grazing land,
these could not have provided for the two million or so Israelites, not to mention all their
animals, during their stay there. Merrill believed Israel's population was more than two
and a half million.114 Allen argued for it being about 250,000 to 300,000.115 As the text of
Scripture implies and sometimes states, God provided for the needs of His people—from
Egypt all the way to Canaan—by giving them an unbroken series of miraculous
provisions.
The trip from Sinai to Kadesh on Canaan's southern border was normally a journey of
only 11 days (Deut. 1:2). Verses 11 and 12 summarize the whole journey from Sinai to
Kadesh, that the writer described in more detail in 10:13—12:16. The "wilderness of
Paran" (v. 12) was an area between Sinai and Kadesh.
"The Desert of Paran is a large plateau in the northeastern Sinai, south of
what later would be called the Negev of Judah, and west of the Arabah.
This forms the southernmost portion of the Promised Land, the presumed
staging area for the assault on the land itself. The principal lines of assault
on the land of Canaan are from the southwest, following the Way of the
Sea from Egypt, and from the northwest, following the Way of the Sea
from Phoenicia. Israel's staging for attack in the Desert of Paran was a
brilliant strategy. In this way they would avoid the fortified routes to the
west, presumably under the control of Egypt. This unusual line of attack
from the south would stun the inhabitants of the land. They would come
like a sirocco blast from the desert, and the land would be theirs, under the
hand of God."116
The Israelites broke camp ("moved out"), and proceeded to march as the Lord had
commanded them (vv. 13-28; cf. ch. 2).
"Those that have given up themselves to the direction of God's word and
Spirit steer a steady course, even when they seem to be bewildered."117
The "tabernacle" receives special attention in this description of the marching order, in
keeping with its central importance in the nation.
"A major component of the covenant promise to the fathers and to Israel
the nation was . . . the inheritance and occupation of a land. This land was
representative of the whole earth. As man was placed in the Garden of
Eden to keep and rule it, so Israel would be placed in Canaan to keep and
rule it as a fiefdom from the Great King. At last, when the saving purposes
of the Lord will have been accomplished, all the earth—indeed all
creation—will fall under the rule of mankind, who will 'have dominion
over all things.'"118
114Merrill,
"Numbers," in The Old . . ., p. 101.
p. 689
116Ibid., p. 781.
117Henry, p. 150.
118Merrill, "A Theology . . .," pp. 59-60.
115Allen,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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Verses 29-32 record an incident that took place before the Israelites left Sinai. This
section is a flashback of secondary importance to the departure from Sinai. Moses'
brother-in-law, "Hobab," had come to live among or visit the Israelites at Sinai. He
evidently agreed to Moses' suggestion that he act as a "scout" or "trail guide" for the
nation (cf. Judg. 1:16).
"Moses continued to urge Hobab to join Israel. In a sense this is an act of
evangelism. Hobab did not come easily. But subsequent biblical texts
indicate that he did come. As such, he is like Ruth who joins Naomi en
route to the Land of Promise, leaving all behind, with a promise of
something ahead that is of more value than anything left at home."119
"Those that are bound for the heavenly Canaan should invite and
encourage all their friends to go along with them."120
"Israel didn't need Hobab to tell them where to march or when to camp;
God would do that. But Hobab's knowledge of the land would assist them
in making other decisions as they moved from place to place. Charles
Spurgeon said: 'We ought to learn from this, I think, that while we ever
seek the guidance of God in providence, yet we may frequently find
direction and guidance in the use of our own common sense, our own
discretion with which the Lord had endowed us.' We don't 'lean on' our
own understanding (Prov. 3:5-6), but neither do we ignore it. God wants
us to act intelligently as well as believingly, and the spiritually minded
Christian knows how to use both heart and mind in discerning God's will
(Rom. 12:2)."121
Other scholars believed Moses erred in extending this invitation.
"How soon the temptation comes to look away from the guiding pillar of
cloud and fire! Such is the weakness of the human heart. We profess to
trust God, and then look to man. We find it easier to lean on a puny mortal
whom we can see, than on the almighty Lord Himself whom we cannot
see."122
Even though God had led Israel with the cloud, Hobab would have proven useful too,
since he knew the wilderness, and could advise Moses concerning its terrain, oases, and
other features. The name of Moses' father-in-law, normally "Jethro," is recorded as
"Reuel" here (v. 29). He was Zipporah's father (cf. Exod. 2:18).
The Israelites apparently carried "the ark . . . in front of" the whole nation as they
marched (v. 33). "The cloud" was evidently over it ("them," over those carrying the ark),
119Allen,
p. 783.
p. 151.
121Wiersbe, p. 327. His quotation from Spurgeon is from The Metropolitan Tabernacle, vol. 7, p. 161.
122Baxter, 1:174. Cf. Noordtzij, p. 96.
120Henry,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
but not necessarily over the whole nation (v. 34). The cloud hovered above the ark, and
led those carrying it and the entire nation, as the Israelites moved forward. This reminded
the people that God was their Leader, and that they were to follow His leading.
"It [the ark] is something like a wedding ring: the visible sign of the bond
between the Lord and his people."123
Moses' two prayers, the Israel's Journey from Sinai to Kadesh
first whenever the cloud
moved ("set out"; v. 35),
and the second whenever
it stopped ("came to rest";
*Kadeshbarnea
v. 36), give us a glimpse
into
his
intercessory
ministry for Israel.124 They
E G Y PT
Wilderness
show
his
prayerful
*Elath
of Paran
concern for the people he
was responsible to lead.
Israel's "enemies" (v. 35)
were those who might
Mt.^
seek to turn them back
Sinai
from the Promised Land
Red Sea
along the way, as well as
the Canaanites whom
Israel would fight in the land.
"The theme of this passage is Israel's glorious leadership by Yahweh as
the people depart from the Mountain of God for an immediate conquest of
Canaan. There is no sense here of the impending doom that awaits Israel's
rebellion in the wilderness."125
B. THE REBELLION
11—25
AND JUDGMENT OF THE UNBELIEVING GENERATION CHS.
These chapters explain why Israel failed to enter the Promised Land immediately, and
subsequently had to spend the next 38 years in the wilderness.
1. The cycle of rebellion, atonement, and death chs. 11—20
The end of chapter 10 is the high point of the Book of Numbers, spiritually speaking. The
beginning of chapter 11 records the beginning of the spiritual decline of Israel that
resulted in God judging the nation. He not only postponed the fulfillment of His promise
to bring her into the Promised Land, but the entire older generation had to die off, while
wandering in the wilderness for 38 years.
123Maarsingh,
p. 37.
the Appendix at the end of these notes for a chart of Moses' intercessory ministry after the Exodus.
125Ashley, p. 200.
124See
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"The law discovered sin, but could not destroy it; checked it, but could not
conquer it."126
"Chapters 11—20 present a dismal record of their acts of ingratitude and
of God's consequent judgments on his ungrateful people. Within these
chapters are innumerable instances of his continuing grace. The reader of
these texts goes astray if he or she focuses solely on God's wrath or on the
constant provocations to his anger by his meandering people. The more
impressive feature in this text is God's continuing mercy against
continuing, obdurate rebellion. . . .
"These ten chapters now balance and contrast with the ten chapters that
present the record of Israel's preparation."127
Further events on the way to Kadesh Barnea chs. 11—12
These chapters are similar to Exodus 13:17—19:2, in that they record Israel's experiences
in transit from one location to another.
A warning from the Lord 11:1-3
Archaeologists have not determined the location of "Taberah" (v. 3). It must have been an
insignificant spot geographically, since Moses did not include it in the list of Israel's
encampments in chapter 33 (cf. 33:16-17). It was a significant spot spiritually, however.
Not long after Israel left Sinai, the people began to grumble again.
"A modern traveller [sic] would sympathize."128
"There is a cyclical nature to Israel's rebellions against God; obdurate
people tend to repeat the sins of the past. The first rebellion of the
redeemed people came on the third day of marching toward the Mount of
God after their miraculous crossing of the Sea of Reeds (Exod 15:22-24).
Now, three days out on their triumphal march to Canaan from Mount
Sinai, they fall back into their complaining behavior. The pattern of 'three
days' in both cases shows both similarity of actions as well as an
intemperate, impatient attitude on the part of the people."129
"Those who murmur without cause are soon given cause to murmur."130
To warn them that their dissatisfaction could develop into more serious rebellion, God
sent "fire" on "the outskirts of the camp." It is not clear whether the fire (lightning?) that
God sent actually killed some of the people, or if it only burned up some things like
126Henry,
p. 151.
p. 785.
128G. Wenham, p. 106.
129Allen, p. 786.
130Baxter, 1:175.
127Allen,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
bushes and tents. Evidently the people recognized this event as a warning from God, so
they "cried out" to Moses—whose intercession moved God to withhold further discipline.
The people named the site "Taberah" ("burning") in memory of this event.
"In the midst of his wrath, the Lord remembers mercy. This is one of the
ongoing themes of Scripture and is a particular truism in the Book of
Numbers."131
This is the third time in the Pentateuch that an event such as this happened. God had
wrestled with Jacob after he had parted from his father-in-law, and before he reentered
the Promised Land (Gen. 31:55; 32:22-32). God had sought to kill Moses after he had left
Sinai and had parted from his father-in-law, and before he rejoined the Israelites (Exod.
4:24-26). Now God sent fire from heaven to the Israelites, after they had left Sinai and
Moses' father-in-law, and before they entered the Promised Land. Each incident cast a
foreboding mood over events, and hinted that something worse might have followed
soon. Remember the fire from heaven on Sodom in Genesis 19, and compare.
God's provision of manna and His Spirit 11:4-35
The "rabble" or "worthless foreigners" (CEV, v. 4) were the non-Israelites who had come
out of Egypt with God's people (Exod. 12:38). It did not take these particular people long
to become discontented with conditions in the desert, and to complain about their bland
diet of manna. Their grumbling quickly infected the Israelites (v. 4). These malcontents
despised God's provision of manna for them, and longed for the stronger flavors they had
enjoyed in Egypt. They failed to take heed to the warning God had given at Taberah.
"To spurn a regularly occurring, abundant and nutritious food only
because it is boring is understandably human—a pitiable mark of our
tendency toward ingratitude."132
As believers of the church era, we must be careful of the strong flavors of the interesting
and stimulating fare—that the world has to offer—and not imbibe these things too much.
Too much participation in these things can make us feel bored with and lose interest in
what God has provided for our spiritual nourishment, which may seem bland and
unappealing by comparison. God's provision for our nourishment and growth, our manna,
are His written Word and His incarnate Word, the Bread of Life (cf. 1 Pet. 2:2; John
6:48-58).
Moses must have felt caught in the middle (vv. 10-15). On the one hand, the people
seemed to be mutinous, and on the other, God was angry because of their attitude (v. 10).
The discomfort of desert travel seems to have affected him, too. Moses failed to look to
God for His wisdom and provision. So he became frustrated. This frustration seems
traceable to Moses' taking on more responsibility for the people than God intended.
131Allen,
132Ibid.,
p. 787.
p. 790.
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"Few things discourage God's servants more than people criticizing them
unjustly and complaining about the blessings the Lord has given."133
Moses' use of the mother figure to describe God ("conceived . . . brought them forth
[gave birth to] . . . carry them in your bosom as a nurse," v. 12) is unusual, but not unique
in Scripture (e.g., Exod. 4:22; Isa. 49:15; 66:13; Hos. 11:1; cf. 1 Thess. 2:7). Normally
the Bible presents God as a male, because He relates to people in traditionally male roles
primarily. However, He also deals with us in ways that are more typically female, and in
these instances He compares Himself to females.
God again accommodated Himself to Moses' weakness (vv. 16-23; cf. Exod. 4:14), and
provided 70 men to share Moses' responsibility of explaining God's will to the people. He
did this so that their complaining would not grow into mob violence. God's "Spirit" rested
on ("[was] upon," filled, controlled) Moses in a special measure (v. 17). God now gave
these elders His Spirit in similar fashion, and with Him, the ability to prophesy (v. 25).
"Prophesying here does not refer to prediction or even to proclamation but
to giving (in song or speech) praise and similar expressions without prior
training (see the comparable experience of Saul in 1 Sam. 10:9-11)."134
The people's discontent with God and His will for them (v. 20) had given them an
unrealistic picture of their situation. They claimed to have been happy in Egypt (vv. 18,
20). But they forgot that they had been slaves.
". . . in ancient times meat was eaten in Israel only on special occasions. In
the wilderness it would have been very much a luxury. In any event, the
offense of the demand for meat was just part of the larger offense of
romanticizing the time in Egypt, where there had always been an
abundance of fish and fresh vegetables. They were saying in effect that the
entire so-called 'deliverance' from slavery had turned out to be one huge
disappointment."135
God's gracious provision of "meat" was a mixed blessing. He gave them what they
requested, but kept them there "for a whole month" (v. 20), by sending them a
superabundance of quail (one possible interpretation is: "two cubits (three feet) deep" all
around the camp, v. 31, emphasis added), and allowing them to get very sick from the
meat ("a very severe plague," v. 33; Ps. 106:15).
This punishment was not vindictive, but disciplinary, and designed to teach the people to
accept what God sent them as best for them. God permitted their trials in the wilderness,
to prepare the nation, namely the younger generation, for the hardships they would face
when they entered the land.
133Wiersbe,
p. 328.
"Numbers,", in The Bible . . ., p. 227. See also 1 Chron. 25:1.
135Maarsingh, p. 39.
134Merrill
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"The people were to be broken by the experience because they had
despised the gift of God, glorified their stay in Egypt, and characterized
their redemption from slavery as a meaningless event."136
God's promise to provide meat stretched Moses' faith to its limit ("Should [Can enough]
flocks and herds be slaughtered . . . or should all the fish of the sea be gathered . . . to be
sufficient for them? vv. 21-22). God reminded Moses that His "power" was limitless.
Even Moses had temporarily forgotten the miracles in Egypt.
Verse 21 seemingly supports the view that there were only about 600,000 Israelites who
left Egypt in the Exodus, rather than perhaps 2,000,000 or more. Exodus 12:37 says that
there were "about 600,000 men on foot, aside from children." Probably verse 21 should
then be understood to mean "600,00 [men] on foot [plus women, children, and Levites]"
(cf. 1:46).137
Evidently the elders' prophesying was a singular occurrence; it happened only on this one
occasion ("they did not do it again," v. 25). This incident indicates that God's bestowal of
the Holy Spirit at that time was temporary. The Spirit had not previously been on these
elders. Furthermore it was selective. The Spirit was not "upon" all the Israelites in the
same way as He was "upon" these elders. Contrast this to our day, when the Spirit
indwells all believers permanently (John 14:16-17; 16:7, 13; Acts 2).
"Though the Old Testament does not contain a fully developed theology of
the Holy Spirit, it does reveal enough to show that the Spirit was a
manifestation of God Himself and not merely a way of referring to some
divine attribute (see, for example, Gen. 1:2; 6:3; Exod. 31:3; Num. 24:2;
Judg. 3:10; 1 Sam. 10:6, 10; Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 61:1)."138
It is not surprising that Jewish interpreters see this "Spirit" as Moses' human spirit rather
than the Holy Spirit.139 We have no reason to believe that God withdrew the Spirit from
the elders, though the text does not say one way or the other. Perhaps only their ability to
prophesy ceased (v. 25).140 This ability was a divine sign to the people that dampened
their rebellious spirits. Leon Wood refuted the view that prophesying involved ecstatic
utterances (speaking in tongues).141 And this passage does not support such a view. The
prophesying in view probably involved praising God (cf. 1 Chron. 25:1).142 It was not
Moses who was indispensable for Israel, but the Lord's Spirit.
136Ibid.,
p. 41.
p. 213. Cf. Allen, p. 793.
138Merrill, "Numbers," in The Old . . ., p. 112.
139See, for example, Ze'ev Weisman, "The Personal Spirit as Imparting Authority," Zeitschrift für die
Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 93:2 (1981):225-34.
140See Allen, p. 794.
141Leon J. Wood, The Prophets of Israel, pp. 39-56.
142Ibid., pp. 90-91.
137Ashley,
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Joshua's "jealousy" for Moses' honor in the nation (vv. 28-29) is understandable (cf. Mark
9:38-39), but he had greater concern for Moses' honor than for the good of the people.
"We must not be forward to condemn and silence those that differ from us,
as if they did not follow Christ because they do not follow him with us,
Mark ix. 38. Shall we reject those whom Christ has owned, or restrain any
from doing good because they are not in everything of our mind [(in
agreement on everything)]?"143
Moses realized that Israel would have been better off if God had given "all the people . . .
His Spirit" and the gift of prophecy. God has, however, given all Christians His Spirit,
and the ability to praise Him. God may have included this incident involving Joshua in
the narrative because of his later role as Israel's leader. He may have included it to
emphasize the value of the gift of the Holy Spirit as well, that God graciously gave the
people, even in their rebellious condition.
"Behind these words [in v. 29] lay a world of faith. We see that Moses
understood that the issue was not for him to decide but for God. If
necessary God would act on his servant's behalf."144
The "Spirit" (Heb. ruah) of Yahweh ("the LORD") settled the leadership problem (v. 29),
and now the "wind" (Heb. ruah) from Yahweh would solve the food problem (v. 31). The
wind blew from the southeast (Ps. 78:26), and apparently brought quails from the Gulf of
Aqabah ("from the sea"; vv. 31-34). Normally quails migrated to the northeast, from
central Africa, so the direction from which these quails came was an unusual and
supernatural provision of the Lord.145 The NASB interpreted verse 31 as meaning the
quails lay three feet deep on the ground, but the NIV translators understood that they flew
about three feet above the ground. The latter interpretation seems more probable to me.
The sickness of the people ("very severe plague") was a judgment for their greed. They
wanted something for themselves that God had not chosen for them.146
"When God really wants to judge people, He lets them have their own way
(Rom. 1:24, 26, 28)."147
"The central purpose of the narrative appears to be to show the failure of
Moses' office as mediator for the people [v. 14]. . . . The ideal leadership
of God's people is shown in the example of the seventy elders. . . . In other
words, this narrative shows that Moses longed for a much different type of
community than the one formed under the Law at Sinai. He longed for a
community led not by a person like himself but a community guided by
God's Spirit [v. 29; cf. Deut. 30:6].
143Henry,
pp. 152-53.
p. 42.
145Merrill, "Numbers," in The Bible . . ., p. 227; Keil and Delitzsch, 3:72.
146See Theodore Ouzounellis, "Some Notes on Quail Poisoning," Journal of the American Medical
Association 211:7 (Feb. 16, 1970):1186-87.
147Wiersbe, p. 329.
144Maarsingh,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"The view expressed by Moses in this narrative is precisely that of the
later Israelite prophets in their description of the new covenant [cf. Jer.
31:31-34; Ezek. 11:20; 36:22-27; Joel 2:28]."148
After their month at Kibroth-hattaavah ("Graves of Craving"), the people journeyed on to
Hazeroth ("Enclosures"), where the events recorded in the next chapter took place (cf.
12:16).
The rebellion of Miriam and Aaron ch. 12
Perhaps it was God's exaltation of Moses, indirectly, by His bestowing the gift of
prophecy on the elders, that provoked the envy of Miriam and Aaron. After all, God was
reminding the people—and in no small way—of Moses' special endowment with the
Spirit, when He blessed the elders with the Spirit.
12:1-3
Miriam was the outspoken leader in this incident. The priority of her name
over Aaron's, and the feminine gender of the verb in the Hebrew text
translated "spoke," indicate this (v. 1).
The Cushite woman Moses had married was probably not Zipporah (Exod.
2:21). Zipporah was from Midian, which was in Arabia. At this time, Cush
was a name for Upper Egypt (Ethiopia).
". . . the Septuagint and the Vulgate translate 'Cushite' in
Numbers 12:1 as 'Ethiopian,' the word used by the Greeks
and Romans to refer to the region south of Egypt inhabited
by people with black skin."149
Merrill, however, believed that "Cushite" described people who lived in
Arabia, and not just in "Cush proper," in which case Moses' wife here may
not actually have been black, and may have been Zipporah.150 But it seems
unlikely that Miriam would have objected, at this late stage, that Moses
had married Zipporah. After all, he had married her several years before
this incident.
The repetition of the phrase "for he had married a Cushite woman" (v. 1)
seems to imply a recent marriage. This would better explain Miriam's
objection at this time. We may assume, therefore, that Zipporah had died,
and that Moses had remarried. Moses wrote in Psalm 90:10 that a normal
lifespan was about 70 years. He would have been in his early eighties at
148Sailhamer,
pp. 385-86.
Daniel Hays, "The Cushites: A Black Nation in the Bible," Bibliotheca Sacra 153:612 (OctoberDecember 1996):398.
150See Merrill, "Numbers," in The Bible . . ., p. 288, and idem, in The Old . . ., p. 113-14; and Robert
Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Practical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, p.
120.
149J.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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this time, so it is very possible that Zipporah had died of old age, assuming
she was about the same age as he.
There is no textual reason to believe, however, that Moses was married to
two women at the same time, though that is possible. Also, marriage to a
Cushite was within the will of God. God had only forbidden the Israelites
from marrying Canaanites (Exod. 34:16).
Evidently Miriam and Aaron felt that their leading roles in Israel, as
prophetess (Exod. 15:20) and high priest respectively, were losing their
distinctiveness, because God had given 70 elders the privilege of
mediating His word. Perhaps Miriam saw in Moses' new wife a threat to
her own role as the leading female in Israel. Moses' marriage to the
Cushite woman may have been nothing more than an excuse for Miriam's
jealousy.151
The statement of Moses' humility ("the man Moses was very humble,"
v. 3) was not a boastful claim by the writer, but an inspired statement of
fact. We need not conclude that another writer added it later, necessarily,
since it is essential to the argument of this passage. Because while it is
highly unlikely that Moses, who was called "the most humble man on
earth" here, would have written this about himself, it is possible that God
instructed him to insert this statement. That another writer added it later is
a distinct possibility, however. It is possible that—on the basis of
etymology, usage, and context—the qere reading of the Hebrew word
used here is preferable. The Hebrew word should be translated "miserable"
rather than "meek."152
"The events described in ch. 11 may have taken an
enormous toll on Moses. This verse may be a description of
Moses' utter sense of brokenness as he experienced his
brother and sister's betrayal."153
"Sometimes the unkindness of our friends is a greater trial
of our meekness than the malice of our enemies."154
12:4-9
151Noordtzij,
God's common method of communicating with His prophets was by
giving them "visions" and "dreams" (v. 6).155 Moses was a specially
privileged prophet, however, with whom God spoke directly, without any
p. 107.
Rogers, "Moses: Meek or Miserable?" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 29:3
(September 1986):257-63.
153The Nelson . . ., p. 250.
154Henry, p. 153.
155See Richard L. Ruble, "The Doctrine of Dreams," Bibliotheca Sacra 125:500 (October-December
1968):360-64. For more information on the structure of God's words here, see J. S. Kselman, "A Note on
Numbers xii 6-8," Vetus Testamentum 26:4 (October 1976):500-504.
152Cleon
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
special mediation or reserve. He spoke with Moses as friends converse
("mouth to mouth," v. 8; cf. Exod. 33:11). Michael Fishbane suggested
that Paul had verse 8 in mind when he wrote 1 Corinthians 13:8.156
12:10-15
The Lord punished Miriam for her dissatisfaction with her divinely
appointed role in the nation. He punished her with leprosy, the disease that
specially symbolized sin (Lev. 13—14). Frank Cross suggested that
Miriam's punishment of white as now, "leprous" skin was a divine
response to her prejudice against her black sister-in-law.157 All the
Israelites probably identified her self-assertion over Moses, attacking his
leadership, as "sin." Perhaps God did not smite Aaron because his
involvement was not as great.
"Her foul tongue (says Bishop Hall) is justly punished with
a foul face. While Moses needs a veil to hide his glory,
Miriam needs one to hide her shame."158
"In the present narrative, the sign of Moses' leadership was
Miriam's 'leprosy, which was white as snow' (Nu 12:10).
Similarly, one of the first signs given to vindicate God's
election of Moses as leader of his people was the sign of
'leprosy, white as snow' (Ex 4:6). In the initial narratives
dealing with the work of Moses, Moses himself doubted his
calling and consequently became a leper. Here, however, it
is Miriam who doubts and thus becomes a leper. We should
also note that the other sign given to vindicate the role of
Moses in the earlier narrative was the serpent that came
from Moses' rod (Ex 4:3). So also here, when Moses'
authority is further questioned by the people at the end of
their time in the wilderness (Nu 21:5), God responds by
sending serpents against them (21:6)."159
Moses interceded for Miriam ("OO LORD, heal her, I pray!") at Aaron's
pleading. Ironically, Aaron had wanted to be like Moses (v. 2), but instead
of being able to intercede directly with God as Moses did, Aaron had to
appeal to Moses—who alone interceded with God.160 God again showed
mercy. The LORD removed Miriam's leprosy, but punished her with
exclusion from the camp "for seven days" (Lev. 14:8). Spitting in the face
(v. 14) was an act of contempt for one who had done something despicable
156Michael
Fishbane, "Through the Looking Glass: Reflections on Ezek. 43:3, Num. 12:8 and 1 Cor. 13:8,"
Hebrew Annual Review 10 (1986):63-74. See also Edward J. Young, My Servants the Prophets, ch. II:
"Moses and the Prophets," for an exposition of verses 1-8.
157Frank M. Cross, Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic, p. 204. See also Cain H. Felder, Troubling Biblical
Waters: Race, Class, and Family, p. 42.
158Henry, p. 153.
159Sailhamer, pp. 386-87. Cf. 2 Kings 5:27.
160Ashley, p. 227.
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(cf. Deut. 25:9; Job 17:6; 30:10). The people suffered, too, as a result of
Miriam's and Aaron's rebellion: God halted their progress toward the
Promised Land again (v. 15; cf. 11:20).
"Aaron, on seeing the judgment of leprosy come upon his
sister, beseeches Moses for mercy. There is surely in his
prayer an implicit recognition of the different kind of
authority that Moses had. Indeed, he is acknowledging that
Moses possessed a power in intercession with God that he
himself could not exercise, hence his appeal to his
brother."161
"The purpose of this chapter, then, is to vindicate Moses'
divinely given leadership and to brush aside any further
suggestion that, because of the establishment of other forms
of authority, the type of leadership epitomized in Moses
was no longer valid."162
12:16
From "Hazeroth," Israel moved on through the "wilderness of Paran" and
then Kadesh on the southern border of Canaan.
These three failures to be content with God's provisions and plans—at Taberah, Kibrothhattaavah, and Hazeroth—prepared the Israelites for an even more serious failure at
Kadesh (cf. Phil. 4:11; Heb. 13:5-6).
As we read the record of the Israelites' experiences after they left Mt. Sinai, we might ask
why God allowed them to experience so much difficulty. There are several reasons: to
teach them to accept what He sent as best, to prepare them for hardships in the land, to
develop character in them, and to train them to depend on Him. This is often why God
allows us, as well, to experience so many difficulties (cf. Heb. 12).
The failure of the first generation chs. 13—14
The events recorded in chapters 13 and 14 took place while Israel was at Kadesh.
The sending of the 12 spies into Canaan 13:1-25
13:1-2
161Philip,
When the people arrived at Kadesh, the Lord told them to "go up" and
"take possession of (possess)" the land He had promised them (Deut. 1:1921). Kadesh stood in the Desert of Zin, which was a section of the great
Paran Wilderness. Instead of advancing into Canaan, the people asked
Moses if they could send spies ahead of them. They did so, "that they may
search out the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which
we should go up, and the cities which we shall enter" (Deut. 1:22). Moses
p. 148.
p. 386.
162Sailhamer,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
47
allowed this (Deut. 1:23), but only with God's permission (Num. 13:2).
Clearly the Israelites were not rebelling against God by sending the spies,
but neither were they stepping forward in bold obedience with strong
confidence in God, as they should have done.
"The name Kadesh is associated with the Hebrew word
[kodesh] that means 'holy.' Had the story turned out
differently, this name would have been associated with
positive memories. It would have been here that they would
have sanctified themselves for their campaign of conquest
of the land."163
Why did God not lead
Moses to record here (vv. 13) the fact that the sending of
the spies was the people's
idea (Deut. 1:22)? The
reason may be that this was
not the sin that resulted in
God's postponement of their
entrance into Canaan. Their
reaction to the spies' report
caused that result. The
mission of the spies had
some genuine value to the
Israelites (vv. 18-20), but it
also opened the possibility of
fear and failure to obey God.
13:3-16
Hill Country
Valley of Eshcol
*Zoan
(Tanis)
NEGEV
*
Kadesh
Gulf of
Aqabah
Red Sea
The men named as the "spies" were not the same "heads" or leaders as the
tribal princes ("conveners"; 1:5-15; 7:12; et al.). Their personal
qualifications for this mission may have been the basis for their selection.
"The name [Joshua, v. 16] describes a special role that
Moses wished Joshua to have when he renamed him in
Numbers 13:16. Joshua's earlier name, Hoshea, simply
means 'he has saved'. In the name Hoshea, the person or
god who saves is not made clear. Moses specified the LORD
as the source of salvation by renaming Joshua."164
Moses' renaming of Joshua may have been an act of ritual adoption.165
163The
Nelson . . ., p. 252.
S. Hess, Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary, p. 17.
165The Nelson . . ., p. 252.
164Richard
*
Hebron
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13:17-20
The "Negev" (lit. "south") was the arid area of land to the south of
Canaan, that formed a transition between the desert to the south and the
cultivated fields of Canaan to the north. Rainfall averages 8-12 inches per
year in the Negev, making it semi-arid. The "hill country" (v. 17) refers to
the more mountainous sections of Canaan generally, here. Later Moses
used the term more specifically, of part of the territory God gave the tribes
of Ephraim and Judah. The "time of the first ripe grapes" (v. 20) would
have been late July or early August.
13:21-25
The spies surveyed a very large area. "Lebo-hamath" (v. 21) stood about
50 miles north of Damascus, 100 miles north of the Sea of Chinnereth
(Galilee).166
The "Anakites" ("descendants of Anak," v. 22) were a tribe of very tall
people who lived in Canaan (v. 33).
"Hebron" was a large fortified town. Moses gave it special emphasis here,
because it was near Hebron that God had promised to give Abraham the
land (Gen. 13:14-18). From Hebron, Abraham had set out to defeat a
coalition of kings (Gen. 14:13). The only piece of real estate Abraham
possessed in Canaan was in Hebron, and there he and the other patriarchs
lay buried. The spies, of course, knew these historical facts, and memories
of these patriarchal events should have strengthened their faith in Yahweh
as they passed through Hebron.
"Zoan" (v. 22) is another name for "Tanis," the capital city of Egypt, from
which the Israelites had come.167
The "valley of Eshcol" was apparently just north of Hebron, on the travel
route to Jerusalem.168 The Hebrew word translated "Eshcol" refers to the
stalk or stem of some fruit or flower. From this, it came to mean a whole
bunch or "cluster" (of grapes). A huge cluster of grapes, carried on a pole
between two men, has long been a symbol of the land of Israel. This figure
illustrates the great agricultural productivity of the land. It still is a popular
symbol of modern Israel today, and is the logo of Israel's Department of
Tourism.
The report of the spies 13:26-33
The spies reported that "the land" was indeed as fruitful as they had heard ("does flow
with milk and honey," v. 27), "nevertheless . . ." (v. 28). Everything the spies said, from
this word on, was uncalled for.169 Their commission had been to view the land and to
166Yohanan
Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, pp. 72-73.
N. Na'aman, "'Hebron Was Built Seven Years before Zoan in Egypt' (Numbers xiii 22)," Vetus
Testamentum 31:4 (1981):488-92.
168The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, s.v. "Eschol," by R. C. Ridall, 2:364.
169See J. A. Beck, "Geography and the Narrative Shape of Numbers 13," Bibliotheca Sacra 157:627 (JulySeptember 2000):271-80.
167See
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
report back on what they saw. It was not their job to determine if the Israelites could
overcome the Canaanites. God had promised that He would give the land to His people.
"Centuries later, when the Assyrians invented siege warfare, they used
massive machinery and an engineering corps to subdue walled cities; and
even then it often took years. From the human viewpoint, Israel was to
face a formidable foe."170
It was the "strong people" and the "fortified cities" in Canaan that discouraged the spies
(v. 28). These "Hittites" (v. 29) were probably one of the native tribes in Canaan, not the
great Anatolian Hittites (cf. Josh. 1:4; Judg. 1:26; 2 Sam. 11:3). As they had despised
God's provisions and plans (chs. 11—12), the 10 spies now disbelieved God's promises
too, that He would give the land and its people into their hands. They reckoned only on
their own natural ability, and failed to rely on God's supernatural ability (v. 31).
"What John Gardner said about the political arena can be applied to the
spiritual arena and the Christian's walk of faith: 'We are continually faced
with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble
problems.'"171
The spies described the tallest and largest of the Anakites as "Nephilim" (v. 33).
The Nephilim were, "the demi-gods who lived on the earth before the
flood (Gn. 6:4)."172
The word "Nephilim" means "strong ones" or "tyrants," not "people of gigantic stature,"
though it came to refer to superhuman giants. The spies concluded that the Anakites were
relatives of the Nephilim.
"The use of the term Nephilim seems to be deliberately provocative of
fear, a term not unlike the concept of bogeymen and hobgoblins."173
The rebellion of the people 14:1-12
14:1-4
God had just proved His supernatural power to the Israelites—three times
since the nation had left Sinai (chs. 11—12). There was no excuse now for
this failure to trust Him to lead them victoriously into Canaan.
"The will of God will never lead us where the grace of God
can't provide for us or the power of God protect us. If our
daily prayer is, 'Thy will be done,' and if we walk in
obedience to God's will, then what is there to complain
170Smick,
p. 130.
p. 333.
172G. Wenham, p. 120.
173Allen, p. 812.
171Wiersbe,
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about? A complaining spirit is evidence of an ungrateful
heart and an unsurrendered will. By our grumbling, we're
daring to say that we know more than God does about
what's best for His people!"174
14:5-9
"Moses and Aaron" tried to persuade the people to enter the land (Deut.
1:29-31). They also "fell on their faces in the presence of all . . . the
congregation," suggesting they prayed for the nation in this hour of its
rebellion (v. 5). Moreover, "Joshua" and "Caleb" warned the people
against turning back (vv. 7-9). They rightly identified the true actions (and
attitudes) of the Israelite majority, as "rebellion" against God and "fear" of
the Canaanites (v. 9). They reminded the people that God "was (is) with"
them (v. 9).
14:10-12
Nevertheless the congregation violently rejected Caleb and Joshua's pleas
to trust and obey God (v. 10). God Himself prevented the people from
stoning Caleb and Joshua by manifesting Himself ("the glory of the LORD
appeared . . . to all"; v. 10).
". . . the majesty of God flashed out before the eyes of the
people in a light which suddenly burst forth from the
tabernacle (see at Ex. xxv. 10)."175
As a faithful mediator, Moses again interceded for the disobedient
Israelites (vv. 13-19). Many modern pastors would have left their people,
if they responded as the Israelites did here, but these leaders did not. They
humbled themselves and committed themselves to enduring the
consequences of their peoples' lack of faith. God rewarded them for their
commitment. We should leave those who are stubborn only if God clearly
leads us to do so.
The LORD stated the root of Israel's failure clearly in verse 11. The failure
of the Israelites grew out of unbelief (cf. Heb. 3:19). They failed to believe
that God would give them the land of their enemies as He had promised.
"Like Pharaoh, they were hardening their hearts and
ignoring God's clear command (cf. Ps. 95:7-8) . . ."176
Often in Scripture we read of people asking God, "How long?" (e.g., Ps.
6:3; 13:1-2; 35:17; et al.). However, here it is God who asked this question
of Moses (cf. Exod. 16:28). This illustrates the intimate relationship that
Moses and God enjoyed (12:7-8).
174Wiersbe,
p. 333.
and Delitzsch, 3:92.
176Herbert M. Wolf, An Introduction to the Old Testament Pentateuch, p. 194.
175Keil
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
Was God's threatened action, to wipe out or "smite" the people, a real
possibility, or was He only testing Moses' reaction with this offer? God
had threatened a similar punishment at Sinai when the Israelites had made
the golden calf (Exod. 32:10).
If He had actually done this, God could still have fulfilled His promises to
Abraham, by destroying and dispossessing all the other living Israelites,
and by sparing only Moses and his descendants. However, God could not
have fulfilled the prophetic promises that He had given through Jacob
(Gen. 49)—had He done so. There would have to be descendants of
Judah, from whom a "great ruler" would come (Gen. 49:10), as well as
some future for the other tribes.
Perhaps God meant that He would completely destroy that older
generation of Israelites immediately (wiping them out in one blow, instead
of gradually; cf. Exod. 32:10). God also said that He would give Moses
and his descendants a much larger place in the nation ("I will make you
into a nation greater and mightier than they"). Perhaps, if God had gone
through with this offer, other peoples would have later regarded "Moses"
as the "father of the Israelite nation."
". . . this passage intends to show that the people failed to inherit the
Promised Land and hence died in the wilderness without inheriting the
blessing, not so much for a specific act of disobedience or for fear of the
battles that lay ahead, but rather for the simple fact of their unbelief. They
failed to trust in God."177
This section of text teaches us important lessons about inadequacy and adequacy. The 10
spies, who did not want the Israelites to enter the land, felt inadequate (cf. John 15:5). In
this, they were being realistic. However, they should have compensated for their feelings
of personal inadequacy, by reminding themselves of God's complete adequacy (cf. 2 Cor.
12:9; Luke 1:37; Matt. 19:26; Phil. 4:13).
God was teaching the Israelites a basic lesson of the life of faith, namely, that the real
power in the lives of God's people is God's. As we trust and obey God, He releases His
power through us. We are never adequate in ourselves, but God empowers the obedient
and trusting. Jesus taught His disciples the same lesson when He multiplied the loaves
and fishes—twice.
Moses' intercession for the people 14:13-19
Moses interceded again, much as he had done at Sinai (cf. Exod. 32:11-13). Moses based
his appeal on God's reputation among the Egyptians (vv. 13-14) and the other nations
(vv. 15-16). He also cited God's promise that He would be patient ("slow to anger . . .
forgiving iniquity"; vv. 17-18), and His past loyal love to Israel ("the greatness of Your
177Sailhamer,
p. 388.
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lovingkindness"; v. 19). Moses' words proved effective ("The LORD said, 'I have
pardoned them according to your [Moses'] word'"; v. 20). This was God's testing of
Moses, and was similar to the test that Abraham faced when God told him to sacrifice
Isaac (Gen. 22).
God's punishment of the people 14:20-38
The fact that God granted the people "pardon," in response to Moses' intercession, is
another indication of His grace (vv. 20-21).
"Here is a whole nation rescued from ruin by the effectual fervent prayer
of one righteous man [cf. James 5:16]."178
The failure of the Israelites would not frustrate God's purpose to manifest His "glory"
throughout "the earth," through the seed of Abraham (v. 21). Even though the present
generation would die in the wilderness, Caleb (and Joshua, not mentioned here in v. 24,
cf. v. 30) would enter the Promised Land.
The "ten times" the Israelites tested God (v. 22) by complaining were probably these:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
At the Red Sea (Exod. 14:11-12)
At Marah (Exod. 15:23)
In the wilderness of Sin (Exod. 16:2)
In the wilderness of Sin (Exod. 16:20)
In the wilderness of Sin (Exod. 16:27)
At Rephidim (Exod. 17:1-2)
At Horeb (Exod. 32)
At Taberah (Num. 11:1-3)
At Kibroth-hattaavah (Num. 11:4-34)
At Kadesh (Num. 14:1-3)
Another, less likely view, is that the Lord was referring to the ten spies, not to ten historic
instances of testing.179 It is noteworthy that in Egypt, God sent 10 plagues to build the
faith of His people, but in the wilderness, they complained against Him 10 times in
unbelief. Evidently the measure of their iniquity had reached its full capacity, from God's
viewpoint, with this tenth rebellion (cf. Gen. 15:16).
Because the adult generation had failed to trust God, He would not defeat their enemies.
Therefore He instructed them to march southeast toward the Gulf of Aqabah, and away
from the "Amalekites" and the "Canaanites" (v. 25). Since they wanted to return to Egypt,
God sent them back toward where they had been. Since they feared their children would
die in Canaan, God would preserve those very children in the wilderness—and give them
178Henry,
179Smick,
p. 156.
p. 132.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
a home in Canaan ("they will know the land which you have rejected"; v. 31). Since the
adults had rejected Canaan, God would give it to their "children" (v. 31). Since they
feared dying in Canaan, God would let them die in the wilderness ("your corpses will fall
in this wilderness," vv. 32-33; cf. v. 2).
"Typical of the irony in this story, their punishment is made to fit their
crime."180
"When the Lord asked 'How long?' [v. 27] he meant this was the end. The
oath formula 'As I live' [v. 28] was the strongest denial conceivable. The
things he said next were irrevocably going to happen. That is what lies
behind verses 28, 30, and 35."181
The Bible nowhere specifies a particular age of accountability for children. However, the
fact that God judged all the Israelites who were 20 years old and older, for this sin of
unbelief, seems significant. He evidently regarded those who had lived 20 years as
responsible adults (v. 29). In later Judaism, Jewish boys became "sons of the covenant"
on their thirteenth birthdays. This is what the bar mitzvah (lit. "son of duty") celebrates.
The 40-year duration of the punishment was based on the 40-day duration of the
expedition by the spies (v. 34). These "40 years" included the two years already spent in
the wilderness, since complaining characterized the people from the time they first
departed from Egypt—which means that 38 years of wandering still lay ahead.
"The round number forty (v. 34) may refer to a human lifetime: generally
speaking, everyone above the age of twenty would die in the wilderness in
a period of forty years, because very few people lived beyond the age of
sixty. There is a curious connection between the forty days of preparation
for an entry that did not take place and forty years of awesome preparation
for an entry that would take place—but only for a new generation."182
"Israel's downfall at Kadesh is a reminder to us today that it's a dangerous
thing to trifle with the will of God. You may end up spending the rest of
your life wandering around, just waiting to die."183
"In Numbers, disobedience often results from disbelief (cf. Heb. 3:7-19).
God used suffering to alert his people to their lack of faith, as seen in their
disobedience. Some suffering allows time for God's people to repent."184
180G.
Wenham, p. 123.
p. 50.
182Ibid., p. 51.
183Wiersbe, p. 331.
184Stephen J. Bramer, "Suffering in the Pentateuch," in Why, O God? Suffering and Disability in the Bible
and the Church, p. 96.
181Maarsingh,
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"It took only forty hours to get Israel out of Egypt; but it took forty years
to get Egypt out of Israel!"185
The 10 spies who brought the "majority opinion" apparently "died" shortly after God
pronounced their sentence, as a result of "a plague" He sent (v. 37):
"As an unmistakable evidence that God's word of judgment would be
literally fulfilled, the spies, except Joshua and Caleb, at this moment were
struck dead with a plague from the Lord."186
The presumption of the people 14:39-45
Having received their sentence from the Lord, the people then presumptuously proceeded
to go up on their own to take the land (vv. 40-42).
"They are like children who had broken a valuable vase and decided to
'make it better' by gluing it back together. The result of such action looks
nothing like the original."187
The Israelites refused to accept God's discipline, just as they had refused to accept
(believe) His promise. Thus they rebelled against Him again, even though Moses sounded
the ominous warning, "the LORD will not be with you" (v. 43). They tried to gain His
blessings without Him, which is human effort and manmade religion without God, a form
of unbelief. Consequently God allowed their enemies to rout them. The key to success
would not be their military might or psychological power, but their obedient trust in God.
It is also possible for us Christians to fail to enter into our full reward, if we fail to
continue to trust and obey God (1 Cor. 9:24—10:13; Heb. 3:12—4:14).188 Every genuine
Christian will eventually go to heaven, but only "the faithful" will receive all the rewards
God wants each Christian to possess. God will give or withhold these at the "judgment
seat of Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; et al.).
"This rather large section of narrative [i.e., chs. 13—14] introduces an
important element in the development of God's covenant with Israel: the
theme of the faithfulness of God in keeping the covenant and the
unfaithfulness of humans in not trusting him.
"Following the account of the people's failure to believe in God in
chapters 13 and 14, the writer has attached a further and rather large set of
laws dealing with sacrifice and the priesthood (15:1—19:22). Thus, as has
been the case throughout the earlier parts of the Pentateuch, after an
185Baxter,
1:179.
p. 67.
187Ashley, p. 270.
188Philip, pp. 166-67.
186Jensen,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
account of Israel's unbelief, more laws are added within the narrative [cf.
Exod. 32; Gal. 3:19-23]."189
Two battles, this one and the battle with the Canaanites in 21:1-3, frame the following
section of laws and the Lord's discipline of the Israelites in the wilderness during the next
38 years.190
"The people ceased to be pilgrims, and became nomads."191
Laws given during the 38 years of discipline chs. 15—19
Moses recorded few events during the years of Israel's wandering in the wilderness, but
those he did preserve have instructive value. Most important among them is the rebellion
of Korah's group against Moses and Aaron, and God's confirmation of the Aaronic
priesthood that followed (chs. 16—18). The wilderness was part of God's necessary
child-training of His redeemed people, but the wanderings would not have been
necessary had the Israelites believed and obeyed. Nevertheless, God still used these years
to further educate His people.
"These thirty-eight years simply mark time without making history."192
The section that follows contains more regulations that look back to Kadesh and forward
to Canaan. Their "revelation" is a confirmation that God had not cast off His people, but
would bring them into the Promised Land eventually.
Regulations concerning offerings and the penalty for defiant sin 15:1-31
"Chapter 15 is another collection of texts designed to prepare the people
for their life in the land. Hence this chapter is one of promise. Though a
great deal has happened, and the results are overwhelming for the adult
population involved; nonetheless there is a sense in which we may say that
nothing has happened. God has pardoned his people (14:20), the second
generation will enter the land (14:31), and preparations still need to be
made for that period after the Conquest and the achieving of 'normalcy' in
Canaan.
"It seems that the connecting thought between chapters 14 and 15 is the
phrase in 15:2: 'when you enter the land of your dwelling places that I am
giving to you' (pers[onal] tr[anslation]). This ties to 14:31: 'I will bring
them in to enjoy the land you have rejected.'"193
189Sailhamer,
p. 387.
p. 274.
191Baxter, 1:180.
192Ibid., 1:181.
193Allen, p. 824.
190Ashley,
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"Lest there be the mistaken notion that the laws of Sinai, including the
laws of offerings, had been abrogated or replaced, the Lord explicitly cited
some of them again . . ."194
The Lord supplemented and completed the laws of sacrifice He had given formerly.
These laws relate to life in the land (vv. 1-2).
There are really seven laws in this pericope (vv. 3-5, 6-7, 8-16, 17-21, 22-26, 27-29, and
30-31). The first three are closely related, and we will consider them as one law. We can
also combine the fifth and sixth laws and regard them as one, which I will refer to as the
third.
15:1-16
"The first of these laws had reference to the connection
between meat-[meal-]offerings and drink-offerings on the
one hand, and burnt-offerings and slain-[peace-]offerings
on the other."195
The Israelites were to accompany every burnt offering and every peace
offering with a meal offering and a drink offering of wine. The amounts of
meal and wine varied, and these variations are clear in the text. An ephah
was about half a bushel, and a hin was about a gallon. Since grapes were
large and abundant in Canaan (cf. 13:23), wine would play a significant
part in Israel's offerings. The drink offering expressed gratitude for the
grapes of the land. The priests poured out drink offerings; they did not
drink them.
The Apostle Paul spoke of his life as "a drink offering poured out" as a
sacrifice "to God" (Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6).
15:17-21
The second law required the presentation of "a cake" made from the "first
fruits" of the land to God. The offerer was to "lift it up" before God, and
then give it to the priest. This offering expressed gratitude for the grain of
the land.
15:22-29
The third law dealt with the burnt and sin offerings. Here, sins of omission
are in view, whereas the law in Leviticus 4:13-21 dealt more with sins of
commission. In both cases, the sin offering covered sins committed
"unintentionally." This law also covered some deliberate sins, if the sinner
offered public confession, full restitution, and a sin offering (Lev. 6:1-7).
15:30-31
These offerings did not cover sins committed in defiance of God. In these
cases, the sinner was to die ("that person shall be cut off"; vv. 30-31).
Moses recorded a case involving such a sin in the next section.
194Jensen,
195Keil
p. 69.
and Delitzsch, 3:100.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
The case of the defiant Sabbath-breaker 15:32-36
This incident illustrates the fate of any Israelite or foreigner in Israel who deliberately
violated the law of Sabbath observance. It clarifies the meaning of "defiant sin," as well
as what it means to be "cut off from among his people" (vv. 30-31). Violation of this law
drew the death penalty (Exod. 31:14-15; 35:2). It was like the "unforgivable sin" in the
New Testament, in that there was no forgiveness for it.196 God revealed on this occasion
that such an offender was to die by stoning (cf. Lev. 20:2). Whereas Moses had
previously recorded the penalty (being "cut off"), he had not explained the method of
execution (v. 34). Other occasions on which Moses had to ask God for guidance in
difficult cases appear in 9:7-8; 27:1-11; and Leviticus 24:10-23.
"The purpose of these narratives is to show that God's will is not expressed
in a once-for-all way. In Israel's ongoing relationship with God, he
continued to make his will known to them, and they continued to play a
part in the process."197
Sabbath observance was the outward sign of the Mosaic Covenant. To violate the
Sabbath law deliberately amounted to repudiating God's sovereignty.
"There are eleven offenses punishable by stoning according to the Old
Testament: idolatry (Deut. 17:2-7); encouragement of idolatry (Deut. 13:610); child sacrifice (Lev. 20:2-5); prophecy in the name of another god
(Deut. 13:1-5); divination (Lev. 20:27); blasphemy (Lev. 24:15-16);
breaking the Sabbath (here); murder by an ox (Exod. 21:28-29); adultery
(Deut. 22:22ff.); rebellion by a son (Deut. 21:18ff.); violation of God's ban
on plunder devoted to him (Josh. 7:25)."198
"When the German poet Heine said on his deathbed, 'Of course God will
forgive me; that's His job,' he understood neither the awfulness of sin or
the high cost of God's grace."199
Visual reminders to keep the law 15:37-41
Perhaps God initiated this command in response to the incident of Sabbath-breaking just
mentioned. The Israelites were to wear "tassels" on the four "corners" of their upper outer
"garments" (Deut. 22:12). The text does not explain the size of the tassels, but old
pictures of tassels on garments that ancient Near Easterners wore show that they were
about six inches long.
"The tassels were in fact extensions of the hem, as we learn from
innumerable illustrations in ancient Near Eastern art.
196Mark
Rooker, Leviticus, p. 55.
p. 390.
198Riggans, p. 125.
199Wiersbe, p. 338.
197Sailhamer,
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"To understand the significance of the tassel, we must first understand the
significance of the hem. . . . The hem of the outer garment or robe made an
important social statement. It was usually the most ornate part of the
garment. And the more important the individual, the more elaborate and
the more ornate was the embroidery on the hem of his or her outer
robe. . . .
"The significance of the hem and of its being cut off is reflected in a
famous biblical episode [namely, when David cut off the hem of Saul's
robe; 1 Sam. 24]. . . .
"The requirement of a blue cord . . . in the tassels lends further support to
the notion that the tassels signified nobility because the blue dye used to
color the threads was extraordinarily expensive. . . .
"The Bible apparently assumed that even the poorest Israelite could afford
at least four blue threads, one for each tassel. . . . Thus, weaving a blue
thread . . . into the tassel enhances its symbolism as a mark of nobility.
"The tassel with a thread of blue signified more than royalty or nobility,
however. It also signified the priesthood."200
The article just quoted also contains reproductions of ancient Near Eastern pictures of
people wearing garments with tassels on them. The Israelite was to fasten the tassel to the
garment with a "blue" thread (or "cord"), or it had to contain a blue thread. The blue
color, as noted in our study of the tabernacle coverings, probably symbolized heavenly
origin and royalty. Thus God apparently wanted the blue thread to remind the Israelites of
their holy calling as "a kingdom of priests." These tassels reminded the Israelites of their
privileged position in the world and their noble and holy calling.
The "tassels" were clearly a visual aid for the Israelites, and probably produced a
conditioned response in the minds of pious Jews (cf. Deut. 6:6-9). They did not bring to
mind any particular commandment, but were meant to remind the observer that he should
observe all of God's laws. The Jew was distinct by virtue of his calling, as was the
garment he observed. Perhaps, also, God chose the outer garment because the Israelites
were like His outer garment, by which the world recognized Him. His people were to be
an adornment to Him (cf. Titus 2:10). Thus God specified something that would warn His
people before they sinned; He did not just specify punishment after they sinned.
"There is an intentional selection behind the collections of laws found
throughout the Pentateuch. The purpose of that selection appears clear
enough. In reading through these laws we can readily see that God is
concerned about every detail of human life. Nothing is too small or
unimportant. It all has to be made available and dedicated to him."201
200Jacob
Milgrom, "Of Hems and Tassels," Biblical Archaeology Review 9:3 (May-June 1983):61-65.
p. 391.
201Sailhamer,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
This legislation is the basis for the custom of wearing a "tallis" or "prayer shawl," that
modern observant Jews still wear. It is also the basis for the blue color of the Jewish
"star" in modern Israel's state flag.
The rebellion of Korah and his followers ch. 16
"As the laws increase and the constraints grow, the people seem less
willing or less capable of following them. At this point in the narrative we
see that the whole order of the priesthood is thrown open to direct
confrontation. God's Word revealed at Sinai, which at first seemed so final
and authoritative, is now being challenged on every side."202
"In 16:1—17:28 (Eng. [17:]13), three stories illustrate the need for and
legitimacy of the Aaronic priesthood [i.e., 16:1-35; 16:36-50; and ch. 17].
As there had been challenges to Moses' leadership in chs. 11—14, so here
there are challenges to Aaron's."203
It is not possible to determine, from the text, where or when during the 38 years of
wandering this incident took place. This story ties in with what precedes, in that Korah
and his non-priestly companions failed to appreciate their calling and became
discontented. The tassels on their garments should have reminded them of their high
calling and privilege. It was not the "rabble" or even the ordinary Israelites, who
instigated this rebellion, but some of the Levites (cf. 8:5-26).
16:1-3
The leaders of this rebellion were "Korah"—a Levite of the Kohathite
branch of the tribe and thus a kinsman of Moses and Aaron—and
"Dathan," "Abiram," and "On," who were Reubenites. Perhaps these
Reubenites felt slighted because their tribe had lost the rights of the
firstborn, and they wanted a larger role in the nation.204 These four men
gained the support of "250" other men (perhaps a rounded number) from
the other tribes, who were "leaders" among the Israelites.
These men intended to overthrow the constitution that God had handed
down for Israel, and to replace it with one that seemed better to them. This
is a good example of "high-handed" sin in Israel. They based their action
on the truth that the whole congregation was "holy" (Exod. 19:5-6). They
wrongly inferred from this that every Israelite therefore had the right to
serve in the priesthood. They failed to appreciate the fact that God had
chosen only the Levites for special priestly service, because the nation as a
whole had apostatized at Sinai (Exod. 32). They also failed to see that
divine election to priestly service, which had been the privilege of the
entire nation, did not in itself constitute qualification for priestly service. It
also depended on obedience to God's covenant (Exod. 19:5). To be useful
202Ibid.
203Ashley,
204Ibid.,
p. 295.
p. 303.
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to God, we must not only be obedient but called. Calling plus obedience
equal usefulness. All Christians have been called (John 15). We are the
elect of God, His "priests" in the world today (1 Pet. 2:9).
The rebels attributed Moses and Aaron's prominence in the leadership of
Israel to personal ambition, rather than to obedience to God's commands.
We, too, need to be careful about judging the motives of God's servants.
Josephus attributed the following motive to Korah:
". . . if God had determined to bestow that honour [of the
priesthood] on one of the tribe of Levi, I am more worthy
of it than he [Aaron] is; I myself being equal to Moses by
my family, and superior to him both in riches and in age
. . ."205
16:4-7
Moses "fell on his face" (v. 4) in great distress, and took the matter to God
in prayer (cf. 14:5).
The test to determine priesthood involved offering "incense," because this
was the most holy responsibility of the priests, that also brought them the
closest to God. The LORD had already shown how He felt about those who
took this privilege on themselves, in the case of Nadab and Abihu (10:13).
16:8-14
The rebels viewed Israel's experiences since leaving Egypt in a purely
carnal, natural way. They attributed those trials to Moses, personally,
rather than to their supernatural God. This failure to perceive the will of
God, as such, led them to regard Moses' leadership as inadequate and
unacceptable.
"It was not that Moses was in error or that Aaron was at
fault. It was simply that these wicked men wanted their
positions.
"Anytime one begins so heavily to emphasize 'my
ministry,' then such a one is in danger of standing in
Korah's sandals."206
"In v. 10b Moses comes to the nub of the matter—not
being satisfied with the position to which God has called
one, but wanting more for the sake of power and prestige. It
is clear that the Levites' call was to ministry or service of
the people, not to power and position over them. This
misunderstanding is near the heart of that which makes
205Josephus,
206Allen,
4:2:2.
p. 837.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
Korah's rebellion so tragic: a misunderstanding of God's
call as to privilege and not to service."207
16:15-35
God's method of judging Korah, Dathan, and Abiram—being "swallowed"
up by "the earth"—was a graphic lesson to the rest of the nation that God
would "bury" those who rebelled against His will. Sin always leads to
death (Rom. 6:23).
"Sheol, the abode of the dead, is pictured as lying
immediately under the surface of the ground . . ."208
"The point is that rebellion against those whom Yahweh
has chosen is rebellion against him. This does not mean
simply that leaders are always right. It says that if the leader
is appointed by God, rebellion against the leadership is
rebellion against God."209
"The same glory that appeared to install Aaron in his office
at first (Lev. ix. 23) now appeared to confirm him in it, and
to confound those that oppose him."210
The "men who belonged to Korah" (v. 32) were apparently his followers,
since some, if not all, of his sons did not die with their father (cf. 26:58;
1 Chron. 6:18-22; 9:19). God destroyed "the 250" leaders with "fire" that
proceeded from Himself, as He had dealt with Nadab and Abihu (Lev.
10:2).
"Others' ruins should be our warnings."211
16:36-50
The LORD created another visual aid to remind the Israelites that offering
incense was a ministry of the priests alone. The priests overlaid "the altar"
of burnt offerings with a second layer ("plating") of "bronze," that they
hammered out of the rebels' "censers" (cf. Exod. 27:2).212
"As we think about the notion of the 'holy,' we recognize
that things are made holy in Scripture, not because people
are holy, but because the things are presented to the Lord,
who is holy. Since these wicked men presented their
censers to the Lord, the censers are holy, despite the men's
own wickedness."213
207Ashley,
p. 309.
Wenham, p. 137.
209Ashley, p. 318.
210Henry, p. 159.
211Ibid.
212See Jonathan Magonet, "The Korah Rebellion," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 24 (October
1982):3-25.
213Allen, p. 843.
208G.
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God's judgment of Korah's company did not persuade the congregation as
a whole to submit to God's will through Moses and Aaron. The people
instead charged Moses and Aaron with killing ("causing the death of")
their leaders (v. 41). But on the contrary, Moses had been responsible for
God sparing the nation—through his intercession—on several occasions.
The fact that the people called Korah's company "the LORD's people"
(v. 41) shows how they failed to appreciate what it really meant to be "His
people" (cf. 11:29; Judg. 5:11; 1 Sam. 2:24; 2 Sam. 1:12; 6:21; 2 Kings
9:6; Ezek. 36:20; Zeph. 2:10).
"The one thing we learn from history is that we don't learn
from history, and that includes church history."214
Moses and Aaron "fell on their faces" when they heard God's intention to
judge the whole congregation with death ("that I may consume them
instantly"; vv. 43, 45). Since incense symbolizes prayer in Scripture (cf.
Exod. 30:8; Ps. 141:2; Luke 1:10; Rev. 5:8; 8:3-4), Aaron apparently
moved among the people ("ran into the midst"), interceding for them. The
"plague" (v. 46) was obviously a divine judgment involving sudden death,
but Moses did not reveal more than this. A total of "14,700" people "died"
(v. 49).
Why did Moses himself not intercede again here?
"All the motives which he had hitherto pleaded, in his
repeated intercession that this evil congregation might be
spared, were now exhausted. He could not stake his life for
the nation, as at Horeb (Ex. xxxii. 32), for the nation had
rejected him. He could not [sic] longer appeal to the honour
of Jehovah among the heathen, seeing that the Lord, even
when sentencing the rebellious race to fall in the desert, had
assured him that the whole earth should be filled with His
glory (chap. xiv. 20 sqq.). Still less could he pray to God
that He would not be wrathful with all for the sake of one
or a few sinners, as in chap. xvi. 22, seeing that the whole
congregation had taken part with the rebels. In this
condition of things there was but one way left of averting
the threatened destruction of the whole nation, namely, to
adopt the means which the Lord Himself had given to His
congregation, in the high-priestly office, to wipe away their
sins, and recover the divine grace which they had forfeited
through sin,—viz. the offering of incense which embodied
the high-priestly prayer, and the strength and operation of
which were not dependent on the sincerity and earnestness
of subjective faith, but had a firm and immovable
214Wiersbe,
p. 340.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
foundation in the
appointment."215
objective
force
63
of
the
divine
Another explanation is that the writer did not record Moses' prayer of
intercession and God's reply, in the text, in this case.
The confirmation of Aaron's high-priesthood ch. 17
The fact that God halted the plague, in response to Aaron's atoning action with his censer
(16:47-48), should have proved that God accepted him as the high priest—and not the
rebels. God gave the miracle of the "budding rod," in chapter 17, to make an even greater
impression on the people, in order to discourage further rebellion (v. 5).
"A man's rod was the sign of his position as ruler in the house and
congregation; with a prince the rod became a sceptre, the insignia of rule
(Gen. xlix. 10)."216
"Almond blooms early with white blossoms and its fruits were highly
prized (Gen. 43:11). White in Scripture symbolizes purity, holiness, and
God Himself (e.g., Is. 1:18; Dn. 7:9; Rev. 20:11). Jeremiah associates the
almond . . . with watching . . . (Je. 1:11-12). All these qualities were
personified by Aaron and the tribe of Levi. They were the holy tribe par
excellence, who represented Israel before God and God to Israel, and they
were responsible for watching over the people by instructing them in the
statutes of the Lord (Lv. 10:11)."217
Aaron's "rod" fairly burst into "buds," "blossoms," and "ripe almonds"—all three stages
of fruitfulness—because God gave it vital power ("sprouted . . . put forth buds . . .
produced almonds, and . . . bore ripe almonds"). This must have helped the Israelites to
appreciate that God had chosen the Aaronic family, because He had sovereignly chosen
to impart His divine life to Aaron and his sons by His Spirit (illustrated by the budding
rod). Moses had symbolized this bestowal when he had consecrated Aaron to his office,
and anointed him with oil.
"The message was clear: just as God could make an apparently dead rod
miraculously bear fruit, so he could elect a line of descendants like any
other and enable it to render priestly service fruitfully."218
"The founders of the non-Christian religions were dead rods, and so are
the systems they originated. Christ is the rod which has budded and
blossomed in resurrection life and glory; and His resurrection is the Divine
attestation that He is the one true Saviour-Priest of men."219
215Keil
and Delitzsch, 3:112.
3:114.
217G. Wenham, p. 140. See also idem, "Aaron's Rod (Numbers 17:16-28)," Zeitschrift für die
Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 93:2 (1981):280-81.
218Maarsingh, p. 63.
219Baxter, 1:184.
216Ibid.,
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God ordered that the Israelites place Aaron's rod "before the ark (testimony)," which
contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, along with the jar of manna (cf. Exod.
16:33-34). He did this in order to help them realize that His choice of the Aaronic
priesthood would continue in Israel. There is no reason to believe that the buds,
blossoms, and fruits remained perpetually fresh. They probably wilted, and the rod most
likely assumed the condition it had before the miracle. The fact that the rod was there
before the ark, in whatever condition it appeared over time, would nevertheless testify to
the Israelites that God had chosen Aaron and his sons as His priests.
The people's terror (vv. 12-13) probably arose as a result of the miracles and judgments
that had befallen the Israelites after Korah rebelled. God had vindicated His holiness, the
people realized their sinfulness, and they were full of fear: "Behold, we perish, . . . we are
all dying! Everyone who comes near [to worship] . . . must die. Are we to perish
completely?"
The service and income of the priests and Levites ch. 18
A complete and comprehensive explanation of the official duties and revenues of the
priests and Levites, in chapter 18, appropriately follows the confirmation of Aaron's
priesthood in chapter 17. This was God's reply to the frightened cries of the people in
17:12-13.
". . . the modern reader comes to chapters 18—19 with a sense of
foreboding; what, we may wonder, is in these chapters for me? The
answer to that question is fivefold:
"1.
The reader of Scripture needs to have general knowledge about the
major institutions of the biblical period just for Scripture to make sense.
"2.
Our understanding of the true worship of God begins with the
sense that he controls and directs true worship; who the priests are and
how they function are first his concerns. This means that worship is not a
game where we may make up the rules as we play.
"3.
A general knowledge of the work of the priests in the Hebrew
Bible gives many insights to the modern reader as to the interests of God
in our own worship. Often we think of worship in terms of what we like
and appreciate. This misses the mark; worship is principally for God's
pleasure.
"4.
A general knowledge of the work of priests in the time of Hebrew
worship gives the Christian reader significant insights into the priestly
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Book of Hebrews has an intense
priestly orientation in its presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ, priest of
God in the manner of Melchizedek.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"5.
In contrast with the highly regulated, highly strictured patterns
demanded of the priests of the Hebrew economy, the believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ today has a direct access to God through the Savior that is
nearly unbelievable. We are all priests; we can come near the presence of
the Lord without an intermediary. Yet our privilege as believer-priests can
only really be appreciated against the background of priests in the biblical
period."220
18:1-7
God evidently gave these instructions "to Aaron" (v. 1). They deal with
the boundary lines between: Israelites who were not Levites, the Levites,
and the priests.
The priestly office carried great responsibility as well as great privilege.
The priests "bore the guilt" of what all the Israelites did, as well as what
they themselves did. The sacrifices, of course, covered this guilt.
God "gave" the Levites to the priests as their assistants, to help them with
certain aspects of the work of the sanctuary ("they are a gift to you"; v. 6).
"Outsiders," non-priests, and Levites could not intrude on the priestly
office or they would die ("be put to death"; v. 7).
"The study of the cultic use of qrb/ngs demonstrates that its
meaning goes beyond simple, physical approach to the
more abstract amplifications: 'have access to,' 'be admitted
to,' 'be associated with.' In prohibitions . . . it means
'encroach.'"221
"A key phrase of this chapter is 'I give you' (18:7; cf. vv.
12, 19, 26, etc.). God takes care of His own."222
18:8-13
220Allen,
God gave Aaron these instructions too (v. 8). The priests received all the
"heave offerings" (their "portion" of the fellowship and wave offerings)
that the Israelites brought to the tabernacle. These were all "the holy gifts"
that the people presented to God (vv. 8-9; cf. 5:9). They included parts of
the meal, sin, and trespass offerings (vv. 9-10). The skin of some burnt
offerings became the priests' too, but Moses did not mention this, probably
because its value was negligible. These were also called "most holy"
offerings (v. 9). The priest also received a portion of what the offerer
waved before the Lord in the peace (fellowship) offering (their portions
were called "heave" offerings; v. 11) and the gifts of "first fruits" that the
people offered each year (v. 12; cf. 2 Chron. 31:5; Neh. 10:36, 38).
p. 850.
Milgrom, "The Cultic Use of qrb/ngs," in Proceedings of the Fifth World Congress of Jewish
Studies, 1:84.
222Jensen, p. 77.
221Jacob
65
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18:14-19
2016 Edition
Everything placed under the ban ("every devoted thing"; v. 14), and "the
firstborn" of every "man or animal" that the people redeemed or offered
("every first issue of the womb of all flesh"; vv. 15-18), were "holy"
offerings (vv. 10, 19). The "everlasting covenant of salt" (v. 19) was an
indestructible covenant, similar to salt in its qualities of duration and
preservation (cf. 2 Chron. 13:5). The ancients used salt in the ritual of
making some covenants in the Near East.
"At a meal in which a covenant between two parties was
sealed, people in ancient times occasionally used salt to
signify the incorruptible, firm, and lasting quality of the
agreement."223
"The meaning appears to have been that the salt, with its
power to strengthen food and keep it from decay,
symbolized the unbending truthfulness of that selfsurrender to the Lord embodied in the sacrifice, by which
all impurity and hypocrisy were repelled."224
God gave the priests five gifts: their office, a spirit of responsibility,
helpers, every provision for earthly needs, and Himself.225
18:20
Aaron, the high priest, received a special portion ("I [the LORD] am your
portion and your inheritance").
"Still more than the marriage image, that of the inheritance
is a two-way one: if Israel is Yahweh's inheritance,
Yahweh is also Israel's inheritance, in a particular sense for
the Levites (Num. 18.20; Dt. 10.9; 18.2), in a general sense
for the body of the faithful (Ps. 16.5-6)."226
18:21-24
The tithes of the Israelites became the Levites' possession ("all the tithe in
Israel"; vv. 21-24; cf. Lev. 27:30-33). God gave the instructions for
receiving the tithes to Moses (v. 25).
18:25-32
The Levites themselves were to give "a tithe of the tithe" (a tenth of the
people's tenth, equaling a hundredth of the total Israelite tithe), that they
received from the people, to the priests. This "Levite tithe" was to include
"the best" of the tithe offerings that the other Israelites gave to them (vv.
30, 32).
223Maarsingh,
p. 65.
Bible Dictionary, 1957 ed., s.v. "Covenant of Salt."
225Jensen, pp. 78-79.
226Edmond Jacob, Theology of the Old Testament, p. 203.
224Unger's
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"On occasion I've met people in Christian service who don't
give to the Lord's work because they consider themselves
exempt. 'We're serving the Lord and all that we have
belongs to Him,' they argue, but their argument doesn't hold
water. The Levites were serving God full time, yet they
tithed what they received."227
"Whereas in heathen states, where there was an hereditary
priestly caste, that caste was generally a rich one, and held
a firm possession in the soil (in Egypt, for example; see at
Gen. xlvii. 22), the Levites received no hereditary landed
property in the land of Israel, but only towns to dwell in
among the other tribes, with pasturage for their cattle (chap.
xxxv.), because Jehovah, the God of Israel, would be their
inheritance."228
Had the Israelites been faithful in their tithing, the Levites would each
have received about five times as much as the average Israelite actually
"tithed" (cf. Gen. 43:34). Unfortunately the Jews were not completely
obedient to these laws.
"What is to be made of the writer's exclusion of Moses in these matters
that relate so closely to the duties of the priests? Why is Moses so
conspicuously left out of the picture [until 18:25]? The answer perhaps
lies in the author's desire to tell us something about the role of Moses as
leader of God's people. His role is not limited to the work of a priest.
Aaron is shown here assuming most of that responsibility. In the view of
the writer, then, it appears that the role of Moses was becoming more
distinct from the office of priest. Thus the writer attempts to show that
Moses' role as mediator of the covenant, already well established
throughout these narratives, was not merely a priestly one. There is a
concern to show that he also functioned in the role of prophet as well as
king, two themes that will receive further development in the book of
Deuteronomy (Dt 18:15; 33:5). Hence as the picture of Moses develops
within the Pentateuch, it more closely resembles the future messianic
ruler, who is anticipated already in the Pentateuch as a prophet, a priest,
and a king."229
The law of purification from the uncleanness of death ch. 19
God gave this law so the nation might maintain purity as the older generation died off in
the wilderness. Its purpose was not to remove sin itself, but to remove the uncleanness
that death represented because of its connection with sin. It was especially appropriate
that God gave this law after the death of the approximately 15,000 who died as a result of
227Wiersbe,
pp. 342-43.
and Delitzsch, 3:119.
229Sailhamer, p. 393.
228Keil
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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Korah's rebellion (ch. 16). Special provisions for cleansing were necessary in view of the
large number of corpses.
19:1-10
The Israelites were to slaughter a "red heifer," then burn it, in order to
collect and store its ashes, from which they would use the ashes as needed
to add to the water of purification, to make it more ritually effective as a
cleansing agent. A heifer is a young female cow older than a calf. The
priest killed it as a sin offering (vv. 9, 17). Probably God required a female
because the female was the bearer of life, and continued life is what this
sacrifice provided. The Lord may have intended the red color to
emphasize sin or perhaps the vitality of the heifer's life. This is the only
case in which the color of the victim was specified. The animal was in its
full strength, having never borne a yoke. Of course, it was to be without a
blemish (v. 2).
The Israelites were to slay the animal outside the camp because of its
connection with sin and death. The high priest was to observe the slaying,
making sure the person in charge did it properly. This was a very
important sacrifice. The sprinkling of the blood shows that this slaying
was a sin offering. The red heifer died for the sin of the congregation,
specifically their defilment from contact with dead corpses (v. 4).
The offerers burned every sin offering for the whole congregation,
including this one, outside the camp (v. 5). This one provided cleansing
from the contamination of death that the nation had contracted through the
death of its people. The heifer represented the Israelites who had died as a
result of sin.
"Cedar wood" was not as subject to decay as most other woods, and so
represented the continuance of life. It was also aromatic when burned, and
was probably either the common brown-berried cedar or the Phoenician
juniper.230 "Hyssop" stood for purification from corruption, and the priests
used it to apply blood, as in the Passover ritual. "Scarlet [wool]"
symbolized the strong, vital energy connected with blood (cf. Lev. 14:6).
All of these elements combined to signify everything that strengthened
life. The person in charge added these elements to the heifer ashes while
the heifer was burning.
The priest collected and kept the ashes of the heifer for the purification
ritual. He combined them with the cleansing water as needed (v. 9) for the
purification of unclean individuals in the nation. The sacrifice
symbolically strengthened the life of the living Israelites, and removed the
uncleanness caused by contact with their dead brethren. "Ashes," which
normally defiled the clean, in this case purified the unclean. God, who is
sovereign, has the authority to abrogate what is normal.
230The
New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed., s.v. "Trees," by F. N. Hepper.
2016 Edition
19:11-22
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
Verses 11-13 explain the general rules for the use of this purification
water. Verses 14-22 give a more specific description of the application of
the general rules. Verses 17-19 record the ceremony of purification.
"Animals are clean and unclean, not because they
necessarily will or will not make a person sick if they are
used as food; they are clean and unclean primarily because
God desired his people to live in a world of discrimination
(see esp. Lev 11:44-47). We may look back from a
twentieth-century understanding of infection and disease
and remark, 'How kind it was of God that some of the
animals he declared to be unclean to Israel are foods that
might be conveyers of disease.' But the principal issue is
distinction, discrimination, the marking out of that which is
different from something else."231
Nonetheless we should not discount God's care for His people's physical
welfare, even though that may have been His secondary reason for
legislating as He did.
"God recognized that the incubation period for most
bacteria is within seven days. This means that after
exposure to a disease, a person will know within seven
days whether the disease is contracted. . . .
". . . the 'unclean' provision of seven days was practical for
most acute, bacterial diseases fatal in that day.
"Hand washing and clothes washing with proper drying
were prescribed in Numbers 19:19 . . . Verse 21 notes that
'anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean
till evening.' These provisions recognize that not only is
washing important in mechanically cleansing one from
microbes, but drying ('until evening') is also essential.
Pathogenic microbes can live in moisture that remains on
skin, dying when the skin is eventually dried. Furthermore
Numbers 19:13, 18-21 refers to the provision of 'sprinkling'
the water, which indicates the need for running water, not
stagnant water. Again this is a more effective means of
cleansing, though more cumbersome.
"Did the average Israelite understand the significance of
this preventive medical standard God imposed? No doubt
he did not. However, God knew and in His wisdom cared
for His people."232
231Allen,
pp. 861-62.
D. Fawver and R. Larry Overstreet, "Moses and Preventive Medicine," Bibliotheca Sacra 147:587
(July-September 1990):280-81.
232Jay
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This sacrifice, then, represented a kind of instant sin offering, because it provided in its
ashes the cleansing of those who had become ceremonially unclean through contact with
a corpse. The unclean person who refused to purify himself would suffer death (vv. 13,
20). To refuse cleansing was to repudiate the divine revelation concerning the
relationship of sin and death. This sacrifice kept the Israelites free from the defilement
that would hinder their fellowship with God (cf. 1 John 1:7-9; Heb. 9:13-14). Jacob
Milgrom believed this offering was thought to exorcize a demon that came with corpse
contamination.233
"This chapter provides an alternative remedy which marked the
seriousness of the pollution caused by death, yet dealt with it without the
cost and inconvenience of sacrifice. Instead, those who have come in
contact with the dead can be treated with a concoction of water that
contains all the ingredients of a sin offering."234
"The writer's concern for the ritual of the red heifer at this point in the
narrative . . . finds its roots in the earliest narratives of Genesis where
death itself is viewed as the ultimate defilement of God's good creation.
As such his point appears to be to show that just as in the beginning, so
now among God's covenant people, death is the arch enemy."235
This sacrifice is similar to the sacrifice of Christ that cleanses the Christian from the
defilement that we contract as we live in the world (1 John 1:9).
The departure from Kadesh ch. 20
Here begins the fourth and last leg of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised
Land.
1.
2.
3.
4.
From Egypt to Sinai (Exod. 12—19)
From Sinai to Kadesh (Num. 11—12)
At Kadesh—38 years of wilderness wandering (Num. 13—19)
From Kadesh to Transjordan (Num. 20—21)
The first two of these segments each began with triumph but ended in tragedy. The third
and fourth each began with tragedy but ended in triumph.
"The focus of the narratives in chs. 13—19 has been the sin of the people
and the trouble caused by it. In chs. 20—21 this focus is still present, to be
sure (20:2-13; 21:4-9), but it is beginning to shift to victories given by
Yahweh as the people approach Canaan (21:1-3, 21-35). It should be
remembered that these victories were given to the old generation that was
233Jacob
Milgrom, "The Paradox of the Red Cow (Num. xix)," Vetus Testamentum 31:1 (1981):62-72.
Wenham, Numbers, p. 146.
235Sailhamer, p. 395.
234G.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
under a death sentence in the wilderness. A new day is coming for the
Israelites."236
Moses' rebellion at Kadesh 20:1-13
Finally, the Israelites departed from the "wilderness of Zin" and "Kadesh."
"There were not two comings to Kadesh-barnea—one at the beginning of
the thirty-eight years of 'wandering' and the other at the end. There was
only one coming. The Tabernacle and all connected therewith stayed at
Kadesh-barnea throughout the thirty-eight years, while the people spread
in roving bands pasturising in the open country [cf. 33:36-38; Deut.
1:46]."237
Kadesh was not only a town, but included a large area of desert located on the edge of the
wilderness of Zin. God had previously judged the older generation of Israelites for not
believing Him (ch. 14). Now He judged Moses for the same sin ("you have not believed
Me," v. 12). In this chapter, Miriam and Aaron were judged as well, but they also died in
the wilderness for their sins. The leaders succumbed to the same temptation as the people.
"Failure to enjoy God's promises was the result of unbelief. At this point
in the narrative the writer shows that it was not a failure to keep the law
that led to their death in the wilderness."238
"Miriam" was a significant person in the Exodus drama. The writer recorded her death as
having occurred in the "first month," but he did not give the year. Perhaps this was the
fortieth year, because the next dated event, the death of Aaron, occurred on the first day
of the fifth month of the fortieth year (cf. vv. 27-28; 33:38).
". . . Aaron, representative of the priesthood, could not lead Israel into the
promised rest; nor could Miriam, representative of the prophets; nor could
Moses, representative of the Law. This was reserved for Joshua, who in a
unique way was a type of our heavenly Saviour and Captain, the Lord
Jesus Christ."239
The root of Moses' sin in disobeying God (v. 11) was unbelief (v. 12). Quite clearly this
was not a failure to believe that God could or would provide water for the people. Rather,
it was a failure to believe that simple obedience to God's command was best (cf. Gen.
4:1-7). In this, Moses acted like the older generation of Israelites had repeatedly done
since they left Egypt.240
236Ashley,
p. 375.
1:203.
238Sailhamer, p. 397.
239Baxter, 1:185.
240See also Martin Emmrich, "The Case against Moses Reopened," Journal of the Evangelical Theological
Society 46:1 (March 2003):53-62, for additional insights.
237Baxter,
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Moses did more than God told him to do. He failed to believe that God's way was best,
and took matters into his own hands. His motives may have been one or more of the
following: He may have had a desire for the greater glory of God. He may have been
proud, or may have relied on his own ability to work miracles. We know he was
impatient with the Israelites' complaining, and felt frustrated by their slowness to learn
the same lesson God had previously taught them (cf. Ps. 106:32-33). In any case, he
failed to accept God's will as best, and this is unbelief.
"Faith is the correct response to God's word, whether it is a word of
promise or a word of command."241
Instead of speaking "to the rock" (v. 8), Moses spoke to the Israelites ("to them"; v. 10)
"rashly" (Ps. 106:33; cf. Lev. 5:4). He struck the rock "twice," with the very same rod
with which he had done so many miracles (v. 11), as though this miracle required his own
power—rather than simply the power of God. In doing so, he failed "to treat (God) as
holy"; he gave the people the impression that God needed him to provide for them. Had
Moses simply spoken to the rock, it would have been clearer to the people that the
miracle had come from God.
One interpretation is that Moses' short speech in verse 10b, not the striking of the rock,
was the actual transgression.242 The text does not seem to bear this out. Evidently Moses,
in his frustration with the people, thought that he was the performer of the miracle rather
than only God's instrument. This is a common error in modern ministry, and it still
produces great frustration: thinking that we need to be manufacturers rather than simply
distributors of blessing to others.243
"The promise was that the moment the word was spoken to the lifeless
rock, the miracle would occur before the eyes of all the people and the
water would gush from the rock in amounts sufficient to quench the thirst
of man and beast. This was God's intention, a change from his attitude in
the case of earlier rebellions: here mercy won over judgment. To accept
this kindness toward a sinful people demanded even more faith from
Moses (especially when we recall Num. 16:15, in which we read that he
asked God to turn away from the people who so seriously but falsely
accused him). God's power and God's mercy—these are the two focal
points that were to be brought once more to the attention of the people."244
Perhaps there was a measure of sacrilege in striking the rock, since "rock" was a symbol
of God (cf. Deut. 32:4, 15, 18; Ps. 18:2; 31:3; 42:9; 1 Cor. 10:4; et al.). However, I doubt
that this was a significant factor (cf. Exod. 17:6).
241G.
Wenham, Numbers, p. 151.
M. Margalith (Windreich), "The Transgression of Moses and Aaron—Num. 20:1-13," Proceedings
of the Fifth World Congress of Jewish Studies, p. 225.
243For development of this insight, see Warren W. Wiersbe, On Being a Servant of God, pp. 5-8.
244Maarsingh, p. 71.
242See
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"It was not God but Moses who was angry at the people. Therefore the
pronoun we [v.10] was a form of blasphemy."245
Moses' anger complicated his unbelief. He was a faithful servant of God except on this
occasion. If another person had committed this sin it might not have been so serious, but
it was very serious, because the man in Moses' office (as the people's prophet, priest, and
king) committed it. God therefore shortened the term of Moses' service (and lifetime) as
his punishment. Moses would not ultimately bring the nation into the Promised Land (cf.
1 Sam. 13:14; 15:26). Leaders of God's people lose their ability to lead when they cease
to rely on God, and thereby impede the manifestation of God's power and holiness.
Exactly what was Moses' sin, which the text calls "unbelief"?
"Judging from the passage alone, the faithlessness of Moses does not
appear to have consisted in his striking the rock or in his harsh words but
rather lies just out of reach somewhere in the numerous 'gaps' of the story.
We should stress that this is not a result of a deficiency in the story. It
rather appears to be part of the story's design. It is just at the point of
recounting the nature of their sin that the author abbreviates the narrative
and moves on to the divine speech (Num 20:12). Moreover, it is just this
divine speech that 'fills the gap' with the word about faith, giving the story
a sense far larger than that of its own immediate concerns. . . . The
rebellion of Moses and Aaron (. . ., 20:24), which appears at some point to
have been an important feature of the narrative, has been replaced with the
focus on their faithlessness (. . ., 20:12). Such an interpretation has raised
the actions of Moses and Aaron in the narrative to a higher level of
theological reflection—the issue of faith versus obedience to the law.
Their actions epitomize the negative side of the message of faith. Moses
and Aaron, who held high positions under the law, did not enjoy God's gift
of the land. They died in the wilderness because they did not believe."246
To summarize, Moses harshly rebuked the people (v. 10), took credit for what God had
done (v. 10), resented the Israelites (v. 10), lost his temper (v. 11), disobeyed God (v. 11),
did not trust God's power (v. 12), failed to glorify God (v. 12), and rebelled against God
(v. 24).
Aaron was guilty of "unbelief" as well (v. 12), because he did not prevent Moses from
sinning. Evidently he could have done this, and God punished him because he did not.
Both men inappropriately took God's place as the center of attention.
"Meribah" ("Contention") is the name the Israelites gave the water that came out of the
rock ("waters of Meribah"). It is also the name of the site where this incident took place
(v. 13). The people had already named another place "Meribah" (Exod. 17:7), where God
245Smick,
p. 138.
H. Sailhamer, "The Mosaic Law and the Theology of the Pentateuch," Westminster Theological
Journal 53 (Fall 1991):258-60.
246John
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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had provided water out of another rock (Horeb). The present incident doubtless brought
the former to memory.
In spite of Moses' disobedience, God still provided for the people by giving them water.
God blesses people even through His disobedient servants. For example, some people
have come to faith in Christ through the preaching of preachers who do not even believe
the Bible. However, God's grace should not lead us to take a light view of sin. Moses
experienced severe discipline for his unfaithfulness to God. He lost part of his reward, but
not his salvation (cf. 2 John 8).
"The lesson is clear: grace is never a ground for complacency or
presumption. By our carelessness, by our sinful neglect, we can sin away
forever some of the privileges of our calling—not salvation itself, but our
opportunities for service, our possibility for usefulness, our contribution to
the ongoing purposes of God."247
The Edomites' resistance 20:14-21
The cloudy pillar led the Israelites, but apparently Moses had reason to believe that God
was directing them eastward, into the territory of Edom, and from there north to
Transjordan. Consequently he sent messengers to the King of Edom, requesting
permission to pass through his land (v. 14).
King's Hi gh wa y
Way of the Wilderness
Way of Atharim
Hebron*
Arad
Hormah *
*
NE GEV
Mt.
^ EDOM
A
Kadesh* Hor R
Way of the
Red Sea
EGYPT
A
B
A
H
*Elath
Gulf
of
Aqabah
R ed S ea
247Philip,
p. 225. Cf. Rom. 11:20.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
The Edomites were Israel's "brother" (v. 14), in that they were the descendants of Esau,
Jacob's (Israel's) brother. The "king's highway" (vv. 17, 19) was a major thoroughfare
through Edom that caravans and armies as well as private citizens traveled. It was a trade
route connecting the Gulf of Aqabah and Syria.248 The Israelites did not take this route.
Moses took an irenic approach in dealing with the Edomites, because they were the
Israelites' relatives. They were not Canaanites, whom God had commanded His people to
attack and destroy. However, in spite of Moses' peaceful request, the Edomites refused to
let Israel pass. This antagonistic attitude characterized Edom's approach to Israel
throughout the history of these two nations, and finally drew God's judgment upon Edom
(cf. Obad. 10-14).
"It's tragic when a family feud is kept alive from generation to generation,
poisoning hearts and minds and keeping brothers from helping one
another."249
The Israelites remained in the area west of Edom, temporarily, and then proceeded to
circle around Edom, first taking a generally southeasterly course toward the Gulf of
Aqabah (cf. 21:4).
"A close reading of these narratives shows that the pattern in the account
of Israel's failure to believe (Nu 14) is repeated in this account of Moses'
unbelief. The complaints of the people (14:1-4; 20:2-5) lead the Lord to
conclude that Israel (14:11) and Moses (20:12) are lacking in faith.
Moreover, both narratives are followed by an account of Israel's aborted
attempt to gain immediate entrance into the Promised Land. In chapter 14,
it was Israel's defeat by the Amalekites (14:40-45), and in the present
passage it is Edom's refusal to let Israel pass through their land (20:14-21).
In these various ways, the author seems intent on showing the similarities
between Israel's failure of faith and that of Moses. Both failed to believe
God and hence could not go into the land."250
The death of Aaron and the succession of Eleazar 20:22-29
"Mount Hor" seems to have stood on the western border of Edom (v. 23).251
Aaron died on the first day of the fifth month in Israel's fortieth year (33:37-38). He was
123 years old (33:39). His death signaled the end of the older generation of Israelites. It
is, therefore, arguably "the most important time-mark in the whole book of Numbers."252
Before Aaron died, Moses formally removed his brother's high priestly vestments and
clothed Eleazar, Aaron's son, with them. Israel now had a new high priest. Similarly,
before Moses died, God installed Joshua as Israel's new leader (cf. Deut. 34:9).
248The
New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed., "King's Highway," by D. J. Wiseman.
The Bible . . ., p. 345.
250Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 399.
251Yohanan Aharoni and Michael Avi-Yonah, The Macmillan Bible Atlas, pp. 41-42.
252Baxter, 1:161.
249Wiersbe,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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"As John Wesley used to say, 'God buries His workmen but His work goes
on.'"253
God has not revealed how Aaron died. His disobedience to God at Meribah (Contention),
near Kadesh, evidently led to a premature death (v. 12). Aaron appears to have been a
man of weak will, whom the people rather easily influenced to compromise his obedience
to God's word. Nevertheless he was an extremely important individual, because of his
ministry as Moses' spokesman, his office of high priest, and his role as founder of the
Aaronic priesthood. His great responsibilities before God were second only to his
privileges under God.
"So ends the dark chapter. In it has been recorded the death of a
prophetess, the critical sin of Moses and Aaron, the refusal of negotiation,
the death of Aaron, and the mourning of the people. The chapter has
emphasized the limitations of man—even God's leaders! Now with a
brighter spotlight on the grace and glory of God, Numbers resumes its
story of advance."254
2. The climax of rebellion, atonement, and the end of dying chs. 21—
25
The destruction of Arad 21:1-3
"Arad was a large town in the northern Negeb, about 17 miles . . . south of
Hebron."255
"Atharim" means "spies" (v. 1). Evidently this is the route the Israelite spies had taken
into Canaan.
The Canaanites ("the king") "of Arad took the offensive ('fought') against (attacked)
Israel." Perhaps they did so because, 38 years earlier, the Israelites had suffered defeat at
Hormah (which means "Destruction"). "Hormah" was very close to Arad. The Israelites
had experienced this defeat on their first attempt to enter the land, right after God had
sentenced them to wander in the wilderness for 38 more years (14:45).
"As being at Kadesh forms a framework for the wilderness wanderings, so
does being at Hormah. After this victory at Hormah, where there had once
been defeat, the Israelites are victorious regularly (21:21-35)."256
This was the Israelites' first victory over the Canaanites, and it was undoubtedly a great
confidence builder for them. It came after the Israelites vowed to obey God completely,
by exterminating these particular Canaanites ("I [Israel] will utterly destroy their cities,"
253Wiersbe,
The Bible . . ., p. 345.
p. 87.
255G. Wenham, Numbers, p. 154. See The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, s.v. "Arad," by Siegfried H. Horn;
Ze'ev Herzog, Miriam Aharoni, and Anson Rainey, "Arad," Biblical Archaeology Review 13:2 (MarchApril 1987):16-35; and Ruth Amiran, Rolf Goethert, and Ornit Ilan, "The Well at Arad," ibid., pp. 40-44.
256Ashley, pp. 398-99.
254Jensen,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
v. 2), if He would give them victory as He had promised. In this vow the Israelites were
merely promising to obey God, only in what was already expected, what He had already
commanded them to do. The conquest of Canaan must have seemed more certain to the
Israelites now than ever before.
This narrative is similar to the one that described Israel's previous victory over the
Amalekites (Exod. 17). An account of the people's murmuring due to lack of water
introduced both stories (Exod. 17:1-7; Num. 20:1-13). In both cases an enemy attacked
the Israelites, but Israel proceeded to defeat each one with the Lord's help brought down
by prayer (Exod. 17:8-13; Num. 21:1-3). Perhaps the writer intended us to learn from this
that it was common for unbelieving nations to be hostile toward God's people. They
opposed them both at the beginning and toward the end of their sojourn in the wilderness
(cf. vv. 10-20). Nevertheless God enabled the Israelites to be victorious in answer to
prayer, despite their unworthiness.
The bronze snake 21:4-9
The Israelites next traveled southeast to go around the southern border of Edom. They
took "the way of the Red Sea" (v. 4), a road to the town of Elath that stood at the northern
tip of the Gulf of Aqabah.257 This route took them through the Arabah. The "Arabah" was
a low-lying plain that runs all the way from north of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee),
through that Sea, the Jordan Valley, and the Dead Sea, south to the Gulf of Aqabah. Steep
mountain walls border the Arabah to the south of the Dead Sea.
It is, ". . . a horrible desert, with a loose sandy soil, and drifts of granite
and other stones, where terrible sandstorms sometimes arise from the
neighborhood of the Red Sea . . . ."258
It is easy to understand why the Israelites grumbled again (vv. 4-5), though this is the last
mention of their complaining during the march to the Promised Land.
The "serpents" that the Lord sent to discipline the people were "fiery"—probably because
their bite caused intense burning and or inflammation.259 However, poisonous snakes
with red spots on their bodies still afflict the Bedouins in this desert.260
God's discipline moved the Israelites to confess their sin and to request Moses'
intercession ("we have sinned . . . intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the
serpents"; v. 7; cf. 11:2). As usual, this proved effective (v. 8).
The "serpent" that God told Moses to make was probably copper or bronze ("fiery"
looking), in order to resemble the color of the real snakes. It was not a real snake but an
257See
Denis Baly, "Elath, Ezion-geber, and the Red Sea," Biblical Illustrator 9:3 (Spring 1983):66-69.
and Delitzsch, 3:138-39.
259Ashley, p. 404; Keil and Delitzsch, 3:139; Wenham, Numbers, p. 157; A. D. H. Mayes, Deuteronomy, p.
193.
260Keil and Delitzsch, 3:139.
258Keil
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
image, ". . . in which the fiery serpent was stiffened, as it were, into dead brass, as a sign
that the deadly poison of the fiery serpents was overcome in this brazen serpent."261
"I suggest that the clue to the symbolism should be sought in the general
principles underlying the sacrifices and purificatory rites in the Old
Testament. Animals are killed, so that sinful men who deserve to die may
live. Blood which pollutes when it is spilled can be used to sanctify and
purify men and articles. The ashes of a dead heifer cleanse those who
suffer from the impurity caused by death. In all these rituals there is an
inversion: normally polluting substances or actions may in a ritual context
have the opposite effect and serve to purify. In the case of the copper
serpent similar principles operate. Those inflamed and dying through the
bite of living snakes were restored to life by a dead reddish-coloured
snake. It may be that copper was chosen not only because its hue matched
the inflammation caused by the bites, but because red is the colour that
symbolizes atonement and purification."262
We see a similar inversion in some of Jesus' healing miracles. Rather than becoming
unclean by touching those who were unclean, Jesus' touch cleansed them. Rather than
physically touching the substitute sacrifice, as God normally required, visual "contact"
(with the bronze snake) was all that was necessary in this case ("everyone who is bitten,
when he looks at it, he will live"). Again, believing a promise from God (v. 8) and
obedience to His word proved to be the key to deliverance (v. 9).
The Israelites preserved this metal serpent, and later in their history, offered incense to it
(2 Kings 18:4). King Hezekiah finally had it broken up and destroyed, since the Israelites
were venerating it as a holy relic.
This narrative, as the previous one, also has a parallel earlier in the Pentateuch, namely,
when Moses threw down his staff in Pharaoh's presence and it became a snake (Exod.
4:3, 30). The context of both incidents was the people's complaining.
"The purpose of such parallels is to underscore the basic themes of the
book. In both narratives, the writer emphasizes the necessity of the
people's response of faith in the sign. They must look to the sign in faith
before they can be delivered."263
Jesus Christ identified the copper serpent as a type of Himself (John 3:14). Like Christ
was "lifted up," someone lifted this serpent up from the earth on a pole. Both Christ and
this serpent were completely harmless as they hung on their poles. Furthermore, if a
fatally wounded person wanted deliverance, he or she only had to "look to (at)" the
serpent or to Christ in faith, relying on God's promise of salvation. The result, in both
cases, was victory over a serpent.264
261Ibid.,
3:140.
Wenham, Numbers, pp. 157-58.
263Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 402
264See Baxter, 1:202, for more parallels.
262G.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
79
"If ever there were a less expected pairing of types, this would be it. The
manna was an altogether gracious gift of God, which the people turned
against with stomach revulsion. The snakes were an instrument of God's
judgment because of the peoples' ingratitude and rebellious spirits; yet it
was a metal copy of just such a snake that became the means for their
deliverance.
"The bread is a picture of Jesus; as the Bread of Heaven he is the proper
nourisher of his people. The bronze snake is a picture of Jesus, who
became sin for us as he hung on that awful tree. The manna had to be
eaten. The snake had to be seen. The commands of Scripture are for doing.
The manna was no good if left to rot. The metal snake would not avail if
none looked at it. The manna and the snake are twin aspects of the grace
of God."265
The journey toward Moab 21:10-20
M t. H er m o n
Moving farther north, through Moab, the
nation crossed the "Arnon" Wadi, that feeds
into the east side of the Dead Sea, about at
the sea's mid-point north-to-south. The
"Arnon" was the border between the
265Allen,
B A SH A N
Yarm uk R.
Jordan River
The list of stopping places that Moses
recorded here differs from the one in 33:4149. Apparently neither list is complete, but
both are selective. Archaeologists have not
yet identified most of the sites Moses
mentioned here. The route of the Israelites
was around Edom, in a counter-clockwise
direction, until they came to the Wadi Zered
(v. 12).266 A "wadi" (Arabic, Heb. nahal)
was a river or streambed that was dry during
most of the year, but became a rushing
torrent during the rainy season. The
Israelites took the "Way of the Wilderness,"
a route that ran generally parallel to, but east
of, the King's Highway (20:17, 19). The
Zered flowed westward, in the rainy season,
into the Arabah near the south end of the
Dead Sea. It constituted the boundary
between Edom and Moab.
^
* Edrei
G ILE A D
J a bb o k R .
J a ze r
*
*
AM M ON
H eshbo n
P is g a h
M ts.
Arnon R.
M OAB
Zered R .
EDOM
p. 879. See James Van Oosting, "Moses, Hezekiah, and Yale's gang of four," Reformed Journal
33:11 (November 1983):7-8, for some comments on the hermeneutics of this passage.
266See J. Maxwell Miller, "The Israelite Journey through (around) Moab and Moabite Toponymy," Journal
of Biblical Literature 108:4 (1989):577-95.
80
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Moabites and the Amorites (v. 13). This crossing brought Israel to the threshold of the
Promised Land.
The Amorites were, ". . . the mightiest of all the tribes of the
Canaanites."267
The "Amorites" controlled most of Transjordan. Abraham was from Amorite stock.268
Here the Israelites received direction from God to make war with Sihon, a king of the
Amorites, and to possess his land. God promised them that they would be victorious
(Deut. 2:24-25). This revelation filled the Israelites with joy and courage.
The "Book of the Wars of the Lord" (v. 14) was a collection of songs that commemorated
God's glorious acts on behalf of the Israelites. Apparently Moses (or one of his
contemporaries) wrote or edited it. The fragment of one of these songs, that the writer
included here (vv. 14-15), describes the Arnon. The fact that Moses inserted this strophe
reflects the joy that the Israelites felt on this occasion.
At "Beer" (lit. "Well") God provided water for the people—but this time by instructing
them to dig wells (vv. 16-18). This proved to be another occasion of great rejoicing, since
God again provided for His needy people.
Moses mentioned several other sites that were camping places they stopped at on their
way, before the nation settled down on the tableland of the "Pisgah" range of mountains.
This area lay east of the place where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea. The
"wasteland" (Heb. Jeshimon) is the desert directly to the northeast of the Dead Sea.
Israel's defeat of Sihon 21:21-32
This account fits chronologically after 21:13. It records two great victories that God gave
His people over two of the mighty Amorite kings. The Israelites were able to take control
of a large area in Transjordan when they defeated Sihon and Og.
"The term Amorite has various meanings in the OT: Canaanites generally
(e.g., Gen. 15:16), inhabitants of the land west of the Jordan (e.g., Josh.
5:1), inhabitants of the regions of Judah (e.g., Josh. 10:5-6), inhabitants of
the Negeb and the region to the southeast of the Dead Sea (e.g., Gen.
14:7), and very often, as here, the inhabitants east of the Jordan under the
rule of Sihon and Og . . ."269
Moses made his peaceful request for permission to pass through Sihon's territory and into
the Promised Land (v. 22), realizing that Sihon would not allow this (cf. Deut. 2:24-26).
Compare Moses' request of Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, in Exodus 5:1 (cf. Exod.
3:19).
267Keil
and Delitzsch, 3:145. See Siegfried Schwantes, "The Amorites as Rulers of Mesopotamia," chapter
4 in A Short History of the Ancient Near East, for more information about these powerful and influential
people.
268See The New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed., s.v. "Amorites," by A. R. Millard.
269Ashley, pp. 418-19.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
". . . this was done simply to leave the decision of his fate in his own hand
. . ."270
Sihon then attacked Israel (v. 23), but Israel defeated his army (v. 24). Moses had very
little to do with the acquisition of any land for Israel.271 This victory gave the Israelites
possession of all of Sihon's territory. It extended south to the Arnon and north to the
Jabbok, which flows into the Jordan River from the east about halfway between the Sea
of Chinnereth (Galilee) and the Dead Sea.272 It included "Jazer," a town that the Israelites
defeated (v. 32). This victory, over one of the most powerful of the Canaanite city-states,
"Heshbon," inspired poets in Israel to write proverbs (v. 27), and to compose songs
commemorating God's deliverance (vv. 27-30).
"The summons to come to Heshbon and build this ruined city again
[v. 27], was not addressed to the Israelites, but to the conquered Amorites,
and is to be interpreted as ironical . . ."273
"Chemosh" (v. 29) was the chief Moabite deity, and was similar to the Ammonite god
Molech (cf. Judg. 11:24; 1 Kings 11:7).274 See Deuteronomy 2:16-37 for another account
of this victory. John Van Seters argued that Numbers 21:21-25 derives from the
conflation of Deuteronomy 2:26-37 and Judges 11:19-26.275 John R. Bartlett countered
that the Numbers passage is the source of the other two accounts.276
Israel's defeat of Og 21:33-35
Heshbon was a city, but "Bashan" was a territory. Bashan lay north of the Yarmuk Wadi.
Evidently at the time of Israel's conquest, "Og" controlled the territory south of the
Yarmuk, as far as the Jabbok, that is, the area known as "Gilead."277 Og's entire domain
was north of the Jabbok Wadi, and extended north as far as Mt. Hermon, about 60 miles
north of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee). The town of "Edrei" (v. 33) stood near the
southern border of Bashan. See Deuteronomy 3:1-17 for a fuller description of this
victory.
The Israelites moved their camp from Mt. Pisgah (21:20), farther west and a little north,
to the "plains of Moab" (22:1), between Beth-jeshimoth and Abel-shittim (lit. "meadow
of acacia groves"; 33:49). This site was closer to the Jordan River, and opposite Jericho,
which stood about five miles west of the Jordan. The people stayed at this location until
270Keil
and Delitzsch, 3:150.
George W. Coats, "Conquest Traditions in the Wilderness Theme," Journal of Biblical Literature
95:2 (1976):177-90, for discussion of Moses' lack of prominence in Israel's battles during this period.
272See Finegan, pp. 189-190, for information about Dibon (v. 30).
273Keil and Delitzsch, 3:152.
274The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, s.v. "Gods, False," by Andrew K. Helmbolt.
275John Van Seters, "The Conquest of Sihon's Kingdom: A Literary Examination," Journal of Biblical
Literature 91:2 (June 1972):182-97.
276John R. Bartlett, "The Conquest of Sihon's Kingdom: A Literary Re-examination," Journal of Biblical
Literature 97:3 (September 1978):347-51.
277Eugene H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, p. 89.
271See
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they crossed the Jordan under Joshua's leadership (Josh. 3:1). The remaining events that
Moses recorded in Numbers, and all those that he penned in Deuteronomy, took place
here.
These victories gave the Israelites possession of all the land east of the Jordan River, west
of the border Ammonite border, north to Mt. Hermon, and south to the Arnon. The
Israelites defeated all the "Amorites" who occupied this area. They did not fight the
Edomites, Moabites, or Ammonites, however, by the command of God—because these
people groups were their relatives. They were not Canaanites. This great victory over Og
further assured the Israelites that God would give them complete victory on the other side
of the Jordan as well (v. 34).
"Giants are but worms before God's power."278
Moab's attempts to curse Israel chs. 22—24
This section of the book illustrates how great a threat Israel had become, to the other
peoples in the area they passed through, on their way to the Promised Land. The
Moabites' failed attempts to frustrate the fulfillment of God's promise to give Israel the
land, demonstrate His power in overcoming these enemies, and His faithfulness (cf. Gen.
12:3).
Balak's arrangement with Balaam ch. 22
22:1-20
Moab had not attacked Israel while the people of God had moved north
along Moab's eastern border. In fact, the Moabites sold the Israelites bread
and water (Deut. 2:28-29). The Moabites probably counted on Sihon, who
had formerly defeated Moab, to "take care of" Israel too (21:26; cf. Judg.
11:25). When Sihon lost, Balak looked for other help. He allied with his
neighbors to the southeast, the Midianites.
Israel's victories over the two mighty Amorite kings filled "Balak," the
"king of Moab," with fear ("Behold, a people came out of Egypt . . . they
cover the surface of the land"; vv. 5-6). He allied with "Midian" and "sent
messengers" to "Balaam," a famous "magician" (diviner, conjurer), to
"curse" the Israelites. Baalam's town, "Pethor" (v. 5), was probably the
Mesopotamian village of "Pitru," located "near the [Euphrates] River" (cf.
Deut. 23:4).279
"Camping peacefully in the valley, the Israelites had no
idea that Balaam was trying to curse them so that the
Moabites and Midianites could defeat them. This scenario
reminds us of Paul's warning in Ephesians 6:12, 'For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
278Henry,
279The
p. 165.
New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed., s.v. "Balaam," by A. van Selms Cf. Josephus, 4:6:2.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world [age], against spiritual wickedness in
high [heavenly] places.'"280
Balaam has been a problem for Bible students. On the one hand, he
appears to have been a pagan, but on the other hand, there are indications
that he may have been a believer. Some commentators believe he was an
idol-worshipping false prophet, whom God compelled against his will to
bless Israel. Others hold that he was a true prophet of Yahweh, who
simply fell before the temptations of ambition and money. Josephus called
him "the greatest of the prophets"281—but whether he was a true prophet
or a false prophet remains debatable.
"As a biblical character . . . Balaam appears to be neither
fish nor fowl."282
"Was he a sinner or saint? . . . The text of chs. 22—24 is
not concerned to pronounce on the matter. Balaam's
character is incidental to the story. . . .
"As the old saying goes, 'The Lord can strike a mighty
blow with a crooked stick,' . . ."283
Balaam's name probably came from a Hebrew root meaning "destroyer" or
"devourer." His father's name, "Beor," apparently came from another word
meaning "to burn," "eat off," or "destroy." The name of Balaam's father
(Beor) suggests that he may have been a sorcerer, and may have given
Balaam his powers as well as his name at birth. However, Balaam may
have received his name later in life, when his powers with the spirit world
became known. In either case, Balaam's name suggests that he was a
veteran conjurer of curses.
The Old Testament never calls Balaam a prophet or a seer, but a "diviner"
("soothsayer"; Josh. 13:22). This title never describes true prophets of
Yahweh elsewhere. God prohibited "divination" in Israel (Deut. 18:1013), and the Israelites regarded it as a serious sin (1 Sam. 15:23; Ezek.
13:23; 2 Kings 17:17)—as well as a telling sign of a false prophet (Ezek.
13:9; 22:28; Jer. 14:14). Balaam customarily sought "omens" (24:1) to
understand the future by divination. He also had a reputation for being
able to persuade the gods to take a particular course of action.
280Wiersbe,
The Bible . . ., p. 351.
4:6:2; Smick, p. 141.
282Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 405.
283Ashley, pp. 435, 436.
281Josephus,
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Nevertheless, according to the text, Balaam knew Yahweh, submitted to
Him, and received revelations from Him (22:8, 13, 18-20, 38; 23:5, 12, 16;
24:1, 13). There are many indications in the narrative that Balaam
genuinely feared Yahweh (the LORD God of Israel). He seems to have
been sincerely sympathetic with the Israelites, and he even praised them
(23:10). But when he referred to Yahweh as "my God" (v. 18), he was
probably claiming to be an agent for Israel's "god" in the same way he
spoke for other gods.
"But what of Balaam's character? He is a walking
paradox—a true prophet and a false prophet both in one.
He is a true prophet in that he knows the true God, has a
real faith in Him, has real dealings with Him, receives real
communications from Him, conveys real messages from
Him. Yet he is a false prophet in that he also resorts to the
use of magical arts, is called a soothsayer (Joshua xiii. 22),
and prostitutes his strange prophetic gift for base gain."284
Balaam's behavior is similar to the Jewish exorcists of Jesus' day, who cast
out demons in Jesus' name, but did not follow Him (Mark 9:38-39; Luke
9:49). He also resembles Simon Magus, who was a sorcerer before he
professed faith in Christ and submitted to baptism. Simon's fascination
with supernatural powers and desire for personal gain diverted him from
his Christian commitment (Acts 8:13).
"Balaam is the pagan counterpart to Moses the man of God.
The recovery of prophetic texts of Balaam in Aramaic from
the sixth century at Deir-'Allah in Jordan shows how very
famous this man was in the ancient Near East, even
centuries after his death."285
Whether Balaam was a true believer or not, his love of money got him in
trouble (2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11). He served Yahweh, but he also wanted the
reward that Balak offered him. At best he was "double-minded" (cf. James
1:8). This characteristic accounts for the instability of his character, and
makes Balaam hard to classify with certainty (cf. Lot). Balaam later died
in the Israelites' battle with the Midianites (31:8).
"In 2 Peter ii. 15 we read of 'the way of Balaam.' In Jude 11
we read of 'the error of Balaam.' In Revelation ii. 14 we
read of 'the doctrine of Balaam.' The way of Balaam is the
284Baxter,
1:200.
p. 887. See also Jacob Hoftijzer, "The Prophet Balaam in a 6th-Century Aramaic Inscription,"
Biblical Archaeologist 39:1 (March 1976):11-17; "Prophecy of Balaam found in Jordan," Bible and Spade
6:4 (Autumn 1977):121-24; Andre Lamaire, "Fragments from the Book of Balaam Found at Deir Alla,"
Biblical Archaeology Review 11:5 (September-October 1985):27-39; Charles H. Savelle, "Canonical and
Extracanonical Portraits of Balaam," Bibliotheca Sacra 166:664 (October-December 2009):387-404.
285Allen,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
prostitution of a spiritual gift for base gain. The error of
Balaam is the secret idea that the will of God may be
circumvented under cover of an outward respect for His
word. The doctrine of Balaam is the counsel to ruin by
seduction the people who cannot be cursed by permission
(see Num. xxxi. 16)."286
Balaam's importance in Numbers should be obvious, in view of the
amount of text Moses devoted to his activities (chs. 22—25). His oracles
are the centerpiece of this revelation. God announced through these
revelations given to Balaam that He would bless Israel, and that He would
fulfill His promises to the patriarchs. The restatement of these promises
was especially appropriate at this moment in Israel's experience. The
nation received a reminder that God would also give them the land of
Canaan west of the Jordan, not just the territories of Sihon and Og. That
these messages had come through a man who was not an Israelite, but who
received pay from their enemies to curse Israel, would have given the
Israelites even greater confidence. The oracles, therefore, not only
weakened the will of Israel's enemies in Moab, Midian, and the other
Canaanite nations, but they encouraged the Israelites.
Balak acknowledged Balaam's power to bring a real curse.
"Balak believed, in common with the whole of the ancient
world, in the real power and operation of the curses,
anathemas, and incantations pronounced by priests,
soothsayers, and goetoe."287
This power was real, as is clear from the narrative, though the heathen
world may have distorted it.
"The custom of cursing an enemy before battle was
widespread in the ancient world . . . ."288
"In the ancient Near East it was believed that an enemy
could be combatted in two ways: with arms or by means of
incantations, and if possible by means of a combination of
the two. The incantations are based on the concept that a
people and its deity constitute a unit; they seek to force, by
means of various kinds of magic, the deity of the enemy to
withhold his power from his people. Thus the enemy will
be powerless and become an easy prey for the opponent.
Moab does not dare use the first means, since Israel has
286Baxter,
1:201.
and Delitzsch, 3:165.
288Philip, p. 243.
287Keil
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already proven to be superior in military power to Sihon,
whom Moab had been forced to acknowledge as their
superior in the past. This leaves only the second means;
they must find the kind of man who in the Euphrates-Tigris
valley is called a baru ('seer'). The baru belongs to the
priestly class, and his specialty is 'seeing' what will happen
on the basis of phenomena that escape the common person,
but are found e.g., in the liver of a ritually slaughtered
animal, or in the configuration of drops of oil on water, or
in the stars, or in the shape of the clouds. Such barus were
believed to be able to influence the will of the gods because
of their secret knowledge and mysterious manipulations,
and to force the gods to do, or not to do, a given thing."289
Had Balaam been completely faithful to Yahweh, he would not only have
sent the messengers home, but also refused to entertain them again
(vv. 7-14). Unfortunately, his love for reward led him to compromise later
(cf. 2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11).
". . . from the early part of the narrative, when he first
encounters the true God in visions, and in the humorous
narrative of the journey on the donkey, Balaam begins to
learn what for him was a strange, bizarre, even
incomprehensible lesson: An encounter with the God of
reality was fundamentally different than anything he had
ever known."290
Several types of divination were common in the ancient Near East:
289Noordtzij,
1.
"Extispicy" was the examination of the entrails of a sacrificed
sheep by a trained specialist to decipher messages from the gods.
The intricate arrangements of the internal organs are what
believers in this form of divination regarded as indicative of divine
revelation.
2.
"Astrology" studied the arrangements of the moon, sun, meteors,
planets, and fixed stars to discover the future. Eclipses were
particularly significant.
3.
"Augury" was the study of the appearance, movements, and
behavior of birds. The seers believed that the direction and manner
of the flight of birds was revelatory.
p. 199. See also Morris Jastrow Jr., Aspects of Religious Belief and Practice in Babylonia and
Assyria, p. 162-74.
290Allen, p. 887.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
4.
"Kleromancy" was divination by means of lots. The various
configurations of symbolic objects, actors, and areas yielded a
binary ("yes" or "no") answer to a given question.
5.
"Oneiromancy" was revelation by dreams, that contained either
verbal or non-verbal communication, supposedly from a god. In
the latter type, certain colors, animals, or activities corresponded to
types of misfortune, happiness, or success.
In all the types of divination, fortunetellers used tricks to deceive and
impress their clients. They often clothed their predictions in mysterious
and ambiguous language to cover possible error. Devout Israelites were to
reject divination as a way of discovering the likely outcome of events, and
to rely instead on God to make known what He wanted them to know.291
Balaam's mind had apparently been dwelling on the reward that Balak's
messengers had mentioned, since he named his price in a clever way
("Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold . . . ";
vv. 18-20). He would not go for a large sum, but when his visitors offered
a sum larger than what he had mentioned would be inadequate, he
probably later reconsidered ("I [Balak] will indeed honor you richly, and I
will do whatever you say to me," in other words: "I'll give you however
much you want," v. 17).
God evidently allowed Balaam to go with the messengers because He
intended to bless Israel (v. 20). God had previously prohibited him from
going (v. 12), because He would not have allowed Balaam to curse Israel.
Verse 12 contains the directive will of God, and verse 20 the permissive
will of God. The change was due to God's yielding to Balaam's desire, but
only within His sovereign plan and purpose. Compare God's yielding to
Moses' intercessory prayers, and God's giving the Israelites meat. The
permission of verse 20 constituted a test for Balaam, which he failed.
Balaam knew the will of God (v. 12), but God gave him permission to
obey or disobey (v. 20).
"God often gives up men to follow the impulse of their own
lusts; but there is no approval in thus leaving them to act at
the prompting of their own wicked hearts (Josh. [sic John]
13:27)."292
Strangely, Balaam was aware that he must be obedient in revealing God's
message—whether for good or ill ("only the word which I speak to you
shall you do," v. 20). This conviction apparently came to him as a result of
291See
Harry A. Hoffner Jr., "Ancient Views of Prophecy and Fulfillment: Mesopotamia and Asia Minor,"
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 30:3 (September 1987):257-65.
292Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, p. 129.
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God's changed permission. God seems to have been teaching Balaam, by
these two words ("Do not go" and "[R]ise up and go"; vv. 12, 20), that He
is the true God who is flexible but all-powerful. Balaam was learning that
Yahweh was not like the lesser spirits with whom he had dealt previously.
"The story of Balaam is thus an example of the folly of
attempting to destroy the eternal blessing of the people of
the Lord."293
"As God sometimes denies the prayers of his people in
love, so sometimes he grants the desires of the wicked in
wrath."294
22:21-41
Balaam was sensitive to the spirit world, of course, which was consistent
with his profession. So either he did not sense the presence of "the [A]ngel
of the LORD," or his greed had blinded him to the Angel's presence. The
Angel had "drawn" His "sword" (v. 23), symbolic of God's wrath against
Balaam, for acting as he was doing (cf. Gen. 3:24; Exod. 12:12). God
finally caught Balaam's attention by speaking through the donkey (v. 28;
cf. 1 Cor. 1:27). Then Balaam saw the Angel, and "bowed" in submission
before Him ("bowed all the way to the ground"; v. 31).
". . . even a beast is more capable of discerning things from
the higher world, than a man blinded by sinful desires."295
Hopefully Balaam appreciated the contrast, between his own lack of
insight and his donkey's ability to discern God's will, and learned some
humility from the event.
"We see the prophet Balaam as a blind seer, seeing less
than the dumb animal. . . . The long shadow of Moses falls
across the pages of the Balaam story even though Moses is
never named once. Moses spoke face to face with God (see
ch. 12); Balaam does not even know that God is near—but
his donkey does!"296
Why did Balaam answer his donkey as though it was a normal
conversation (v. 29)? Perhaps spirits had spoken to him through animals
previously (cf. Gen. 3:1, 4).297 Maybe the donkey exasperated him to the
point that he answered before he realized what he was doing.
293Allen,
p. 888.
p. 166.
295Keil and Delitzsch, 3:173.
296Allen, p. 893.
297Wiersbe, The Bible . . ., p. 352.
294Henry,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"The donkey's acts and words anticipate the problems
Balaam is about to face. The ass was caught three times
between the angel's sword and Balaam's stick. Soon
Balaam will find himself trapped between Balak's demands
and God's prohibitions. Through his third encounter with
God, Balaam was reminded that God wields a sword and
that disobedience means death. So he goes on his way fully
committed to declaring God's words rather than submitting
to Balak's wishes (35)."298
"The Lord tells Balaam to continue on his journey but to
'speak only what I tell you' (v. 35). This is the point of the
whole chapter: Balaam the pagan mantic will not be able to
speak cursing as he had planned. Instead, he would be the
most surprised of all; he would be the most remarkable
instrument of God in the blessing of his people, Israel."299
"As in 22:20, God told Balaam to go. He was not,
therefore, angry because the prophet went but because of
his motive for going."300
Some ancient and modern interpreters have pointed out the similarities and
differences between the stories, of Balaam's donkey in this pericope, and
Abraham's binding of Isaac (Gen. 22:1-19).301 The stories appear in
inverse form, as a reflection in a mirror. God, through Moses, may have
subtly been contrasting Balaam with Abraham, in order to put Balaam in a
bad light and to glorify Abraham.
Balak was a bit put out with Balaam for delaying his arrival. He assumed
that Balaam's hesitancy was due to doubts concerning Balak's ability to
pay him ("Am I really unable to honor you?"; v. 37). Balak's "oxen and
sheep" (v. 40) were probably "sacrificed" in order to secure the favor of
Balak's gods.
"The pieces given to Balaam presumably would have
included the livers; for as a baru diviner, Balaam was a
specialist in liver divination."302
Balak assumed that Balaam would be more susceptible to receiving
supernatural power, and that "it" (his power to curse Israel) would be more
effective, if he had the Israelites within sight. This is why he took Balaam
298G.
Wenham, Numbers, p. 171.
p. 894.
300Smick, p. 142.
301See Jonathan D. Safren, "Balaam and Abraham," Vetus Testamentum 38:1 (January 1988):105-13.
302Allen, p. 895.
299Allen,
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to "the high places of Baal," where he could see parts of the Israelite
camp.
"In order to lay a spell on a people, it was considered
necessary to be able to see them, if only in part."303
None of the sites mentioned are identifiable with certainty, but all were
around the area where Israel lay camped.
Verse 41 contains one of the first references to Baal worship in the Old
Testament ("the high places of Baal").
"Israel struggled with Baal and his worshippers from the
beginning to the end of her national history. Baal worship
was the most serious challenge and threat to the worship of
Yahweh of all the pagan religions in the ancient Near East.
This was true because some similarities and some vast
differences existed between Baal and Yahweh."304
Balaam's seven oracles chs. 23—24
"Chapters 23 and 24 are two of the brightest chapters in the book of
Numbers. Scores of wonderful things are said about Israel, mainly
prophetical. The dark sins of the past were forgotten; only happy
deliverance from Egypt was cited."305
23:1-12
Balaam offered "seven . . . burnt offering[s]" to God on "seven" separate
"altars." Pagans as well as Israelites regarded "seven" as a divine and
complete number, based on the seven days of creation and seven days of
the week. Pagans commonly offered sacrifices on important occasions, as
did the Israelites, to secure divine favor and help.
"The most arresting element of the introductory section is
in the words 'God met with him' (v. 4) and 'the LORD put a
message in Balaam's mouth' (v. 5). Despite the pagan and
unsavory actions of this ungodly man, the Lord deigns to
meet with him and to speak through him. This is utterly
remarkable. We often say that God will never use an
unclean vessel. This is not quite accurate. God may use
whatever vessel he wishes; the issue concerns what
happens to an unclean vessel when God has finished using
it for his purposes."306
303Maarsingh,
p. 84.
L. Smith, "Baal," Biblical Illustrator 10:2 (Winter 1984):15.
305Jensen, p. 99.
306Allen, p. 896.
304Ralph
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"Aram" (v. 7) is Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers in northern Syria (cf. Paddan-aram in Gen. 28:2; et al.). Israel was
"not . . . reckoned among (counted, included, or listed with) the nations"
(v. 9) because of her divine vocation in the earth that set her apart from all
other peoples.
Israel had increased in number as God had promised Abraham. The
Israelites were as numerous as "dust" from Balaam's perspective (v. 10; cf.
Gen. 13:16). The "fourth part of Israel" refers to that quarter of the camp
that was closest to Balaam as he prophesied. He could not even count the
quarter of the nation that was closest to him. This is another indication,
besides the number of Israelite males counted in each tribe, that the
population of Israel was great at this time.
"The account of Pharaoh's first attempt [to suppress God's
blessing of Israel in Egypt] (Ex 1:11-14) is intended to
show that 'the more they were oppressed, the more they
multiplied and spread' (Ex 1:12). In his first oracle Balaam
focused precisely on this point: 'How can I curse those
whom God had not cursed?' (Nu 22[sic 23]:8), and he
concluded by stressing the phenomenal growth of God's
people: 'Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the
fourth part of Israel?' (22[sic, 23]:10)."307
". . . there are many who desire to die the death of the
righteous [v. 10], but do not endeavor to live the life of the
righteous."308
Balak became disappointed and angry because he expected that Balaam
would control the gods. Balaam acknowledged that the God of Israel ("the
LORD") controlled him. Balak concluded that the site was not conducive to
his purpose, so he took Balaam to another place, hoping that the "spirits"
might be more favorable there.
This first oracle was not as specific as those that follow, but it did reveal
that Yahweh was backing Israel rather than Moab. The fulfillment of the
promise to multiply Abraham's seed stands out in this oracle (v. 10).
23:13-26
A new site afforded a better view of Israel, though the whole nation was
still not in view ("you will only see the extreme end of them and not all").
Balak repeated the same ritual of sacrifice.
God does not change His ultimate purposes or go back on His solemn
promises ("God is not a man that He should lie . . . will He not make it
good?"). He does, however, respond to the words and actions of people by
307Sailhamer,
308Henry,
The Pentateuch . . ., p. 407.
p. 167.
91
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adjusting His plans. It is only from God's larger purposes that He does not
"repent" (v. 19).309 The point is that God is not fickle. No one can induce
Him to curse those whom He has chosen to bless.
"Balaam is constantly shifting, prevaricating, equivocating,
changing—he is himself the prime example of the
distinction between God and man."310
"It may be of interest to note that Pharaoh's plans were
stymied by the apparent deception of the Hebrew midwives
and that in Balaam's second oracle he states, 'God is not a
man, that he should lie' (Nu 23:19)."311
God had "not observed misfortune [iniquity] in Jacob" to the extent that
He would curse rather than bless the nation (v. 21). Obviously Israel had
sinned, but her sins were not sufficient to change God's ultimate purpose
to bless her.
"Only in the family is the sinfulness of the people
addressed. Since Yahweh the King is in their midst, they
are invincible from outside attack."312
Israel would be victorious in battle, as well as enjoy God's blessing ("will
. . . [drink] the blood of the slain"; v. 24; cf. Gen. 49:9-11; Mic. 5:8-9).
This was the opposite of what Balak wanted to hear. No one can curse
someone whom God has blessed.
Since Balaam's "curses" had turned out to be "blessings," Balak instructed
Balaam to say nothing rather than continue to prophesy ("Do not curse
them at all nor bless them at all").
This oracle, as the first, began with a criticism of Balak's theological
assumption that people can manipulate God. In this oracle, Balaam saw
Israel as "blessed" and God as their "[K]ing" walking among His people
(vv. 20-21). The Exodus was the supreme example of God's care for Israel
("He brings them out of Egypt," v. 22). Israel's future would be bright, just
as her past had been (vv. 23-24). Balaam also alluded to Israel's
possession of the land as God had promised Abraham (v. 26).313
309See
Thomas L. Constable, "What Prayer Will and Will Not Change," in Essays in Honor of J. Dwight
Pentecost, pp. 99-113; idem, Talking to God: What the Bible Teaches about Prayer, pp. 147-52; Robert B.
Chisholm Jr., "Does God 'Change His Mind'?" Bibliotheca Sacra 152:608 (October-December 1995):38799; idem, "Does God Deceive?" Bibliotheca Sacra 155:617 (January-March 1998):11-28; and Ashley, p.
478.
310Allen, p. 901.
311Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 407.
312Allen, p. 902.
313For more detailed study of the first two oracles, see Angelo Tosato, "The Literary Structure of the First
Two Poems of Balaam (Num. xxiii 7-10, 18-24)," Vetus Testamentum 29:1 (January 1979):98-106.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
23:27–24:14 Still hopeful, Balak took Balaam to a third site, this one from which he
could view the whole of the Israelite camp ("Balaam . . . saw Israel
camping tribe by tribe," 24:2). Again he offered sacrifices as before.
Balaam had learned that God would bless Israel, even though Balak had
not. Consequently, this time he did not "seek" indications of God's will in
"omens," as he had done previously (v. 1). He simply proclaimed the
message that the Holy Spirit had revealed to him ("the Spirit of God came
upon him"; v. 2). Balaam intended his opening words (vv. 3-4) to impress
upon Balak that "the Almighty God" had inspired his oracle.
The phrase "falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered"
(found also in v. 16), ". . . has usually been interpreted as
describing the particular state in which the prophet-seer
received his revelations (e.g., that he was in a prophetic
trance or sleep . . . or was falling down in awe, or in the
overpowering presence of the spirit of prophecy . . .)."314
In the article just cited, the author went on to suggest the translation
"pared or peeled of eye(s)" (vv. 4, 16), which is possible grammatically.
Balaam pictured Israel as a man carrying two "buckets" overflowing with
"water" (v. 7). Water was the source of physical refreshment and blessing
in the hot and arid Near East. Israel's seed would enjoy the richest blessing
(i.e., would grow up—like "gardens," "aloes," and "cedars"—"beside
[many] waters").
"In an ironic reversal of the evil intended by Pharaoh's
order to cast the seed of Abraham into the river, Balaam's
third oracle uses the well-watered gardens that spread out
along the banks of a river to speak of the abundance of
Israel's 'seed.' A literal reading of Balaam's remark in
Numbers 24:7 is 'Their seed is in the abundant waters' . . .
Thus what was once the intended means for the destruction
of the promised seed, that is, the 'abundant waters,' has now
become the poetic image of God's faithfulness to his
promise."315
"Agag" (v. 7) was either the title of the kings of the Amalekites, or the
name of several Amalekite kings, or perhaps a dynastic name (cf.
Abimelech in Gen. 20:1-2; 26:1; and Jabin in Josh. 11:1; Judg. 4:2).
Balaam may have used "Agag" here as the personification of Israel's
enemies. King Saul later defeated another "Agag," but disobediently
spared his life (1 Sam. 15:8).
314J.
M. Allegro, "The Meaning of nophel in Numbers xxiv. 4, 16," Expository Times 65 (July 1954):317.
The Pentateuch . . ., p. 407.
315Sailhamer,
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"It is clear from Numbers 23:24 that Balaam is speaking
about the people of Israel and the exodus from Egypt. In
24:8, however, Balaam repeats the same line and applies it,
using singular forms, to the king he has introduced in 24:7:
'God brought him [singular] out of Egypt; he has the
strength of a wild ox.'
"The writer's purpose appears to be to view the reign of the
future king in terms taken from God's great acts of
salvation in the past. The future is going to be like the past.
What God did for Israel in the past is seen as a type of what
he will do for them in the future when he sends his
promised king."316
"There seems to be a dual prophecy here [i.e., of David and
Christ], for during the reign of Jesus Christ over the
promised messianic kingdom, the land of Israel will
become like the Garden of Eden (Isa. 35)."317
"The stunning climax is in the blessing of God on all who
bless Israel [v. 9; cf. v. 17; Gen. 12:3; 27:29; 49:9]. This, of
course, takes us back to the original promise of God to
Abram. The irony cannot be missed by Balaam or by any
who hear his words. In his actions he brings a curse on his
own head, even as he speaks blessing!"318
Balak sent Balaam home without pay (the LORD has held you back from
honor"), because he failed to produce the curse Balak had hired him to
deliver.
This oracle is even stronger than the preceding two. As Balaam had
alluded to other aspects of the Abrahamic promises previously (23:10, 24),
here the blessing aspect concludes this oracle (v. 9; cf. Gen. 12:3; 27:29).
"Like Pharaoh before him, Balak also made three attempts
to thwart God's blessing for Israel (23:1-12, 13-26; 23:27—
24:9), and each attempt was turned into a blessing (23:1112, 25-26; 24:10-11)."319
24:15-19
316ibid.,
Before Balaam departed, he gave Balak four more revelations from God.
They dealt with the future of Israel, Moab, and Israel's other neighbors.
They were entirely futuristic prophecies. Each one began with the phrase
p. 408.
The Bible . . ., p. 355.
318Allen, p. 907.
319Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 406.
317Wiersbe,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"took up his discourse and said." In all, Balaam made seven discourses
that Moses recorded in the text.
The fourth oracle dealt with Israel, Moab, and Edom. Balaam seemed to
sense that what he predicted would take place in the distant future: "I see
him, but not now, . . ." (v. 17). Saul and David partially fulfilled these
prophecies. However, Jewish and Christian interpreters have seen them as
looking beyond the early monarchy—to Messiah—at both His first and
second advents.
The "star" (v. 17) was a common symbol for a king in biblical and nonbiblical ancient Near Eastern literature (cf. Isa. 14:12; Ezek. 32:7; Rev.
22:16).320 This identification finds support in the reference to the "scepter"
in the next line (cf. Gen. 49:10; Amos 1:5, 8; Ps. 45:6). One wonders if it
might have been this specific prophecy that was in the minds of the three
wise men, who came from Balaam's own country to Bethlehem, to look
for the promised King of the Jews (Matt. 2:1-2).
"If . . . we compare Balaam's prophesy of the star . . . and
the sceptre . . . with the prediction of the patriarch Jacob, of
the sceptre that should not depart from Judah, till the Shiloh
came whom the nations would obey (Gen. xlix. 10), it is
easy to observe that Balaam not only foretold more clearly
the attitude of Israel to the nations of the world, and the
victory of the kingdom of God over every hostile kingdom
of the world; but that he also proclaimed the Bringer of
Peace expected by Jacob at the end of the days to be a
mighty ruler, whose sceptre would break in pieces and
destroy all the enemies of the nation of God."321
"An interesting implication of the parallels presented here
between the account of the birth of Moses in Exodus 2 and
the announcement of the 'star' to arise from the family of
Jacob in Numbers 24 is that Moses thus appears to be
portrayed in these narratives as a prototype of the 'star of
Jacob.' Such a view of Moses is consistent with the fact that
elsewhere in the Pentateuch Moses is cast as a figure of the
coming king (Dt 33:5) and prophet (Dt 18 and 34). This is
also consistent with the fact that later biblical writers often
saw in Moses a picture of the future Messiah (e.g., Hos
2:2[?])."322
320See
Riggans, p. 186; and Merrill, "Numbers," in The Bible . . ., p. 244.
and Delitzsch, 3:201.
322Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., pp. 406-7.
321Keil
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"Seir" (v. 18) is another name for "Edom." Mt. Seir was the principle
geographical feature of Edom. God at first commanded Israel not to wage
war with Edom, because the Edomites were her "kinsmen." As time
passed, though, the Edomites became bitter antagonists of the Israelites.
God punished them for this enmity, beginning in David's reign and after
that (2 Sam. 8:14; 1 Kings 11:15-16; 1 Chron. 18:12-13). In the years
following David's reign, Edom was alternately subject to Israel's kings or
free. Edom attacked Israel several times, but John Hyrcanus eventually
conquered her in 129 B.C. Thereafter, Edom ceased to exist as a nation.
Edomites lived among the Jews until Titus the Roman destroyed the
Jewish nation in A.D. 70. The Greeks called the Edomites "Idumeans."
Herod the Great was an Idumean. He tried to kill the infant Messiah, just
as Pharaoh had tried to slay baby Moses (Matt. 2:1-12).323
24:20
This oracle deals with the "Amalekites," who lived in southern Canaan
and the Sinai peninsula, and were implacable foes of Israel (cf. Exod.
17:8-16; Num. 14:43-45; Judg. 6:3, 33; et al.). Saul and David both
defeated the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:20; 30:17), but this nation finally
suffered complete destruction in King Hezekiah's time—in fulfillment of
this prophecy (1 Chron. 4:43).
24:21-22
The "Kenites," who were identical to, or at least a segment of the
Midianites, were Israel's neighbors to the southwest of the Dead Sea (cf.
10:29; Judg. 1:16; 1 Sam. 15:6; 27:10; 30:29). The "Asshurites" who lived
in the northern Sinai (Gen. 25:3, 18; 2 Sam. 2:9), and the Assyrians,
eventually defeated them.
"The term Kenite refers to the roving 'smiths,' especially
coppersmiths from the copper-rich valley of the Arabah.
Their presence among the people of Israel fits in with the
making of the brazen serpent (Num 21:8, 9) and the metal
work of the Tabernacle."324
"Asshur" may refer to either to the Kenites or the Midianites, or to both of
these nations. Another possibility is that "Asshur" refers to an Arab tribe
that lived near the Kenites (cf. Gen. 25:3).325 Probably Balaam was
prophesying about the future great Assyrian Empire.
"Why the Kenites come under attack here is not sure,
except that it is possible that they became associated with
the Midianites who come under the scourge of Israel
(Num 31). The mention of Assyria is also a surprise, as its
ascendancy to power in the ancient Near East was centuries
323See
The New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed., s.v. "Edom, Edomites," by J. A. Thompson.
p. 126.
325Ibid., p. 144.
324Smick,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
away from Balaam's day; yet Assyria was known as a
powerful city-state even in Abraham's day."326
24:23-25
The final prophetic oracle deals with the overthrow of other powers of the
ancient world. "Kittim" refers to "Cyprus," as representative of the
western powers (the Philistines, Greeks, Romans, and others at various
times). "Asshur" here probably refers to the eastern Semites including the
Assyrians. "Eber" includes the western Semites descended from Eber
(Gen. 10:21) who settled in Canaan, excluding the Israelites. Thus
verse 24 is a very broad prophecy ranging over thousands of years,
foretelling the ultimate destruction of these Semites by western powers.
Final fulfillment awaits the Tribulation period and the second advent of
Messiah.
Balaam returned to "his place," perhaps in Ammon or Mesopotamia (31:8,
16; Deut. 23:4).327
In summary, the first three oracles were a reconfirmation of the Abrahamic promises to
Israel, and a testimony to their partial fulfillment thus far in Israel's history:
Oracle 1:
Oracle 2:
Oracle 3:
seed promise (23:10)
land promise (23:24)
blessing promise (24:9)
In each case, the allusion to the promise concludes these oracles. The writer showed that
God's promise, to bless those nations that blessed Abraham's descendants, and curse
those who cursed them, was reliable. The key to the future prosperity of Israel's neighbor
nations was their treatment of God's chosen people.
The fourth through seventh oracles differ from the others, in that they looked farther
down the corridors of time. These prophesied the success of Israel in the years ahead,
culminating in Israel's ultimate glory under her great Messiah's reign.
"Not only do the Balaam narratives play an important role in developing
the themes of the Abrahamic covenant, but they also serve as an inclusio
to the Exodus-wilderness narratives. That is, the Balaam narratives restate
the central themes of these narratives at their conclusion in a way that
parallels the statement of these themes at their beginning.
"The Balaam story, which lies at the close of Israel's sojourn in the
wilderness, parallels many of the events and ideas of the story of Pharaoh
at the beginning of the book of Exodus."328
326Allen,
p. 912.
idem, "The Theology of the Balaam Oracles," in Tradition and Testament, pp. 79-119. For a sermon
on Balaam, see John Marshall, "The Prophet Balaam," The Banner of Truth 275-76 (August-September
1986):41-54.
328Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 43.
327See
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Israel's final rebellion and the termination of the older generation ch. 25
This chapter contains one of the great failures of Israel that followed one of her great
blessings. Compare the giving of the Mosaic Law and the making of the golden calf, the
consecration of Aaron and the failure of his sons, etc. We are often most vulnerable to
failure after we have experienced a great success. While God was preparing to bless His
people, they were preparing to disobey Him.
"So now we come to the ultimate rebellion of Israel in the desert. The time
is the end of the forty-year period of their desert experience. The place is
the staging area for the conquest of the land of Canaan. The issue is that of
apostasy from the Lord by participation in the debased, sexually centered
Canaanite religious rites of Baal worship—that which would become the
bane of Israel's experience in the land. This chapter is an end and a
beginning. It marks the end of the first generation; it also points to the
beginning of a whole new series of wicked acts that will finally lead to
Israel's punishment . . . . But this chapter is unique in the record of the
experience of Israel in their move from Sinai to Moab—it describes their
involvement in the worship of another deity [cf. Exod. 32]."329
"The chapter is placed between the Balaam oracles and the second census
account for theological and literary reasons. In relation to the Balaam
oracles it shows that, even while God was blessing Israel through Balaam
on the heights of Peor, below on the plains of Moab Israel was showing its
weak and sinful character. The parallel between this incident and that of
the Torah at Sinai and the golden calf (Exod. 20—32) is obvious."330
25:1-5
The Moabites and Midianites were partners in the spiritual and sexual
seduction of the Israelites. Ironically the Midianites, among whom Moses
had found refuge from Pharaoh, and from whom he had taken his wife,
became one of the instigators of Israel's major religious apostasy since she
left Sinai. The plan to curse Israel had failed, so now these enemies
undertook a second approach that proved successful. Compare Pharaoh's
three plans to suppress the Israelites in Egypt (Exod. 1). In chapters 22—
24, the Moabites took the lead in overthrowing Israel while Midian played
a minor role, but in this chapter, the Midianites take the lead with the
Moabites supporting them. The Moabites seduced the Israelites into
idolatry. Balaam had counseled them to intermarry with the Israelites
(31:16). The Midianite princes led in this plot. "Cozbi" (v. 15) was the
daughter of a Midianite prince. The worship of Moab's gods involved
"sacred prostitution" and eating sacrifices offered to the dead (Ps. 106:28).
"It was the assumption of the [Baal Peor] cult that the
fertility of people, cattle, and crops depended on the sexual
linkage of a god and goddess. By imitating this union of the
329Allen,
"Numbers," pp. 914-15.
p. 515.
330Ashley,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
gods, men and women would seek to induce the gods to
grant a greater measure of fertility. Such cultic practices
were common in all of the nations surrounding the
Israelites."331
This violation of the heart of the Mosaic Covenant, which demanded total
and exclusive allegiance to Yahweh, resulted in a plague that killed
"24,000" people (v. 9; cf. Exod. 32:35). To stop the plague, God ordered
the making of atonement by sacrificing the leaders within Israel. Since the
whole nation had sinned, God executed punishment on its leaders, who
stood for the people, and should have restrained their apostasy. Israel's
judges carried out this order (v. 5).
"As the animals and birds had been cut in half in the
covenant ceremony at the beginnings of Israel's history
(Gen 15:10), so the bodies of these rebels were to be
dismembered and displayed in an awful symbol of divine
judgment.
"Chapter 25 is the nadir of the Book of Numbers. It is
worse even than the sins of chapters 12—14. Here is the
great sin at the end of the road."332
". . . it is not enough for us to have an outward law or ideal,
however high and pure it may be. What we need is an
inward change to strike down the inbred perversity of our
fallen nature!"333
25:6-9
The situation took a turn for the worse when "Zimri" ("one of the sons of
Israel"; cf. v. 9) "brought" Cozbi into the camp. Until now, the sinning had
taken place in the Moabite and Midianite camps. Evidently Zimri had
contempt for the covenant, the tabernacle, Moses, the priests, and God's
judgment on the leaders of Israel—including his father (v. 14). He took
Cozbi into "the tent" and had intercourse with her there. They did this
according to the custom of Baal worship. One view is that Zimri took
Cozbi into the tabernacle ("in the sight of all the congregation"; cf. v. 6).
But he probably he took her into his own tent ("to his relatives") after
coming into the camp past the "doorway of the tent (tabernacle)," in full
view of everyone.
"The rare term qubba, meaning 'vaulted tent,' designates the
bedchamber where Phinehas caught them in the act
(Delitzsch)."334
331Maarsingh,
p. 92.
"Numbers," p. 917.
333Baxter, 1:192.
334Smick, p. 145. Cf. Keil and Delitzsch, 3:205; Henry, p. 169; Wiersbe, The Bible . . ., p. 356.
332Allen,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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We should view Phinehas' act as divine judgment (or capital punishment)
on Zimri and Cozbi's attitude and action, not as "murder." He slew them
"in the act" of intercourse, by driving his spear through both their bodies
(lit. "bellies"). Thus "Phinehas" (an Egyptian name meaning "the darkskinned one"), the son of the high priest, "made atonement" for this sin
(v. 13).
"The point was that in joining the sexual frenzies of the
sacrificial feasts of Baal, the man and his priestess-partner
now act to transform the worship of the Lord into the type
of sexual rites that were the mode of Canaan. Had this
outrage not been stopped, there could never have been true
worship in the Holy Place again. They were making the
place of entrance into a bordello, the entrance of the
meeting of God and man into a trysting spot.
"We may observe that while priests were always male in
Israel, priests could be women in the pagan religions that
surrounded Israel. In fact, the sexually centered religions of
Canaan would have catered to women in their priesthood.
Women priests were so very closely tied to the sexual
outrages of Baal and Asherah worship that the very notion
of a women [sic] priest conjured up images of sexual
worship. Perhaps this is the principal reason that Israel had
no women priests."335
"Amid the time of apostasy, the writer points to . . . the
need for new forms of leadership. . . . In this narrative,
Moses is remarkably ineffective in the face of a blatant
transgression (v. 6). The day was saved, however, by the
decisive action of one from the next generation of priests,
Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron."336
25:10-13
The priests were to represent God to the people. This is exactly what
Phinehas did on this occasion. He executed God's wrath against sin by
punishing the sinners; this "turned away [God's] wrath." In so doing, he
atoned for the sin by representing Israel before God, and he restored the
covenant. God rewarded him by promising that his "descendants" would
enjoy "peace" and would occupy the office of the high priest forever
("covenant of perpetual priesthood"; cf. Ps. 106:30-31). This they did (cf.
Judg. 20:28), with the exception of a short interruption in Eli's days. The
Romans finally broke up the Israelite priesthood.
This everlasting "covenant of peace" guaranteed a privileged position of
service to God, to Phinehas and his descendants. It will find final
fulfillment when the descendants of Phinehas, through Zadok's branch of
335Allen,
"Numbers," pp. 919, 920.
The Pentateuch . . ., p. 410.
336Sailhamer,
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
101
Phinehas' family, serve God in the millennial system of worship, by
offering memorial sacrifices in the temple.337
25:14-18
This incident, as the others in which Israel departed from God, shows the
inveterate sinfulness of humans—even when God blesses them greatly! It
also demonstrates the holiness of God, the seriousness of sin in the way it
utterly destroys fellowship with God, and the necessity of atonement by
blood to restore sinners to fellowship with God.
"This chapter is a pivotal section in the theology of the Torah."338
II. PROSPECTS OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION IN THE LAND CHS. 26—
36
The focus of Numbers now changes from the older, unbelieving generation of Israelites,
doomed to die in the wilderness, to the younger generation that would enter the Promised
Land.
"The transition between chapters 25 and 26 reminds us of the transition
from chapter 14 to chapter 15, for in both of them the Lord moved from
judgment to mercy, from punishment to promise."339
"The parallels and contrasts between this narrative and the book of Ruth
suggest that both texts are dealing with similar ideas. In fact, the picture of
Ruth provides an excellent counterexample to that of the men of Israel in
this episode. Ruth the Moabitess married an Israelite man and forsook her
nation's gods to follow the Lord. For this she was given an inheritance in
Israel. In this respect she is also like the daughters of Zelophehad in the
next chapters of Numbers who also gained an inheritance among the men
of Israel (Nu 27:1-11)."340
A. PREPARATIONS
26—32
FOR ENTERING THE
PROMISED LAND
FROM THE EAST CHS.
The first section of this second part of the book records God's gracious preparation of the
younger generation for their entrance into their inheritance.
1. The second census ch. 26
Before going into battle against the Midianites, as God had commanded (25:18), the Lord
directed Moses to take another census of the Israelites.
337See Ronald Rushing, "Phinehas' Covenant of Peace" (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary,
1988).
338Allen, "Numbers," p. 922.
339Wiersbe, The Bible . . ., p. 359.
340Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 410.
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"Moses did not number the people but when God commanded him. David
in his time did it without a command, and paid dearly for it [cf. 2 Sam. 24;
1 Chron. 21:1-17]."341
Evidently the 24,000 who died in the recent plague (25:9) were the last of the generation
who had refused to enter the land 38 years earlier. Only Caleb, Joshua, and Moses
remained from the older generation (vv. 64-65). Leon Wood calculated that if 1,200,000
of the older generation died in 38 years, there would have been an average of 85 funerals
per day in the wilderness.342 Of course, on some occasions, many more died at once, due
to divine judgments such as the one described in 25:9.
Moses again counted the men 20 years of age and older, in all the tribes except Levi, as in
the census taken just before Israel departed from Sinai (chs. 1—4). The primary purpose
of this census was military, namely, to organize the nation for its battles with the
Canaanites as well as with the Midianites. However, a second important purpose was to
determine the size of each tribe, so Moses could allocate territory in the Promised Land
proportionately (vv. 53-54). This list also had historical value for later generations,
enabling them to trace their genealogies. Notice that this is a list of families or clans, not
individuals. The preservation of the nation is a monument to God's faithfulness to His
promises concerning Israel.
". . . His covenanted promises to the patriarchs might be delayed by
human sin, but they could not be ultimately frustrated."343
A table of the sizes of the 12 tribes when Moses took the two censuses follows:
TRIBE
FIRST CENSUS
SECOND CENSUS
DIFFERENCE
Reuben
Simeon
Gad
Judah
Issachar
Zebulun
Ephraim
Manasseh
Benjamin
Dan
Asher
Naphtali
46,500
59,300
46,650
74,600
54,400
57,400
40,500
32,200
35,400
62,700
41,500
53,400
43,730
22,200
40,500
76,500
64,300
60,500
32,500
52,700
45,600
64,400
53,400
45,400
-2,770
-37,100
-5,150
+1,900
+9,900
+3,100
-8,000
+20,900
+10,200
+1,700
+11,900
-8,000
Totals
603,550
601,730
-1,820
341Henry,
p. 170.
Wood, Distressing Days of the Judges, p. 119.
343Philip, p. 275.
342Leon
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
103
Zimri was a Simeonite (25:14). Perhaps the very large number of Simeonites who died,
resulted from his kinsmen joining him in his apostasy in chapter 25.
"At the beginning of the forty years the number is roughly 600,000; and
again at the end of the forty years the number is 600,000. They are no
further forward for the whole period."344
Moses also counted the Levite males from one month old and older (vv. 57-62).
Levi
22,000
23,000
+1,000
Probably there were only about 13,000 males who were 20 years of age or older in Levi.
This would have made this tribe the smallest by far.
26:1-51
The writer recorded the numbers of each tribe in these verses. He also
included historical notes recalling the sins of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
(vv. 9-11), as well as those of Er and Onan (v. 19). Probably he included
these to remind the Israelites of these sins, so they would not repeat them
in the future.
A comparison of the censuses demonstrates that God could still fulfill His
promises to the patriarchs, even though the Israelites' failures had
postponed their fulfillment. This is one of the most important revelations
of the Book of Numbers.
"Man's delay does not mean God's defeat. Greater than
man's failure is God's faithfulness."345
"It is utterly remarkable that the total number has remained
nearly unchanged even though the people have lived under
the most trying conditions for a period of thirty-eight
years. . . . God's faithfulness to his people is grandly
celebrated with this triumphant chapter of census!"346
26:52-56
Moses apportioned ("divided") the land to (for) each tribe according to its
population ("larger" and "smaller" groups). The casting of "lots," later,
determined the location of each tribal (land) inheritance in Canaan (26:54;
Josh. 13:7-33).
26:57-62
Here Moses recorded the census of the Levites. Moses and Aaron were
Kohathites ("Kohath" being their grandfather, and Amram's father; Exod.
6:18-20). Their parents' names were "Amram" (father) and "Jochebed"
(mother, v. 59).
344Baxter,
1:193.
1:183.
346Allen, "Numbers," p. 938.
345Ibid.,
104
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
"Some suggest that Amram and Jochebed were progenitors
but not father and mother of Moses. They say that the
genealogy of Kohath, Amram, and Moses is too short for
there to have been 8,600 Kohathites (3:27, 28) in Moses'
day from a month old upward. However, if Moses' father
had children by other wives and his uncles each had
children by several wives, all of whom had begun another
generation (Moses being eighty before he left Egypt), then
8,600 cousins of Moses' age, along with second and third
cousins down to those a month old, would not be an
unreasonable number to expect."347
26:63-65
The chapter closes with a testimony to the faithfulness of God, and
reliability of His words. All but "Caleb" and "Joshua" had died in
wilderness, just as He had promised. God had faithfully preserved
nation, and would bring her into the land, just as He had guaranteed
patriarchs. Nevertheless He had judged the unbelieving generation.
the
the
the
the
This chapter looks backward, over the past 38 years, and forward to the entrance into
Canaan.
2. Provisions and commands to observe in preparation for entering
the land chs. 27—30
"Just as the censuses of chs. 1, 3, and 4 led to a flurry of preparations for
departure from Sinai, so the second censuses in ch. 26 lead to preparations
for departure from the plains of Moab and entry into the land of
Canaan."348
The inheritance of women in the land 27:1-11
The writer probably included this incident in the text, because it resulted in a further
definition of the laws governing inheritance in the land in a common situation. It also
shows the faith of these women, the "daughters of Zelophehad." They believed God
would bring them into the land. Furthermore, it reveals the fairness and compassion of
God in His provision for these women, whose father had died in the wilderness.
Normally, when a father died, his sons divided his property, with the eldest receiving a
double portion. Daughters did not receive an inheritance before this event, other than
their dowry. The "dowry" was a substantial present their father gave them when they
married. The term "dowry" also refers to the gift that the groom gave to his father-in-law
when he married his daughter.
Notice that after Moses heard the women's complaint, he "brought their case before the
LORD" (v. 5). This is another mark of Moses' spiritual leadership.
347Smick,
p. 146.
p. 547.
348Ashley,
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
105
God decreed now that in Israel, when a man had no sons, his daughters would divide his
property (v. 8). If he had neither sons nor daughters, brothers, or uncles, then the father's
"nearest relative" would receive his inheritance (vv. 9-11). Later (ch. 36) the Lord placed
a restriction on daughters who inherited their father's estate. They had to marry within
their own tribe, in order to keep the inheritance within that tribe, just as it would have
remained if the father had had sons.
This passage is interesting, because it shows how case law developed in Israel. When a
situation not covered by existing laws arose, like this one, the people who were involved
would go to Moses and the high priest—who would then inquire of God. Then God
would reveal what the people should do. That revelation would subsequently become
precedent for similar cases that might arise later.
Moses' successor 27:12-23
Another preparation for entering Canaan
involved appointing a new leader to take
Moses' place.
Jericho
Plains of
* Moab
Mt.
^Nebo
God foretold that Moses would die
Abarim
without entering the land ("When you
Range
have seen it [the Promised Land from 'the
mountain of Abarim'], you too will be
Dead
Sea
gathered to your people"; cf. 20:1-13).
Graciously He allowed His servant to see
the Promised Land from Mt. Nebo (Deut.
32:48-52). "Nebo" was one of the
mountains of the "Abarim" range, that
runs north and south, just east of the
Jordan River and the Dead Sea, in
Moab's territory. "Pisgah" (21:20; Deut.
3:27; 34:1) is the name of the northern
part of this mountain range. The Plains of Moab sloped down from the Abarim mountains
toward the Jordan River.
Moses' reaction to God's announcement of his death was admirable. He did not panic like
King Saul (1 Sam. 28:20), or even pray for a few more years like King Hezekiah (2
Kings 20:1-3). Instead, he prayed for the welfare of Israel, the nation that had caused him
so much grief! Many leaders prefer to select their own successor, but Moses asked God to
make this crucial choice in his case. In so doing, he gave practical testimony to his
acceptance of Yahweh's sovereignty over Israel.
"Joshua" was a likely choice, since he had served Moses and worked closely with him for
years. Most importantly, as one of the two loyal spies, he was a man of faith ("a man in
whom is the Spirit"). Moses "laid his hands on him" (v. 18), symbolically imputing his
"authority" to him (v. 20).
106
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
"This spirit was not something that now came upon Joshua, or was
temporary (such as the coming of the spirit on the elders in 11:17, 25-26);
it already existed in Joshua and was the basis of God's choice of him.
Deut. 34:9 applies the phrase 'full of the spirit of Wisdom' to Joshua,
confirming the thought here."349
Joshua served as an associate leader of Israel, with and under Moses, from this time until
Moses died (v. 20). When Joshua later began his sole leadership, he functioned
differently from Moses. Whereas God had given Moses directions for Israel "face to
face," Joshua would normally receive his divine guidance through the high priest—who
would obtain this by using the "Urim [and Thummim]." Only rarely did the Lord speak to
Joshua directly. God deals with different people in different ways, and He deals with
people differently at different times in history.
Conflict for the leadership of Israel occurred frequently in the later history of the
Northern Kingdom, following the split between Judah and Israel. Moses wisely
anticipated the problems that might arise, in case God removed him before the Lord had
identified his successor. Therefore he interceded again, and again God granted his request
by identifying Joshua at this time. So Moses "commissioned" Joshua as his successor, in
the presence of the high priest, Eleazar, and the whole congregation (v. 23). This action
by Moses was extremely important, because it precluded countless problems for Israel
that might have arisen when Moses died.
"God, in answer to his [Moses'] prayer, appoints him a successor, even
Joshua, who had long since signalized himself by his courage in fighting
Amalek, his humility in ministering to Moses, and his faith and sincerity in
witnessing against the report of the evil spies."350
"Though it might appear a perpetual slur upon his family, first to ordain
Eleazar high priest, and then Joshua, one of another tribe, chief ruler,
while his own children had no preferment at all, but were left in the rank
of common Levites, this was such an instance of self-denial and
submission to the will of God as was more his [Moses'] glory than the
highest advancement of his family could have been."351
"The portrayal of Moses' passing his authority (splendor or majesty) over
to Joshua and Joshua's reception of the Spirit is noticeably similar to the
transition of prophetic office from Elijah to Elisha in 2 Kings 2:7-15. It
appears that the writer of the book of Kings has intentionally worked some
of these themes into his narrative to draw out the comparison. . . . The type
of leadership exhibited by Moses and Joshua is the same as that of Elijah
and Elisha. It is a leadership that is guided by the Spirit of God."352
349Ibid.,
p. 552. Cf. Smick, p. 147.
p. 171. Italics added.
350Henry,
351Ibid.
352Sailhamer,
The Pentateuch . . ., pp. 412-13.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
As Moses secured the Israelites' commitment to Yahweh at Mt. Sinai, so Elijah later
revived it during Israel's worst apostasy. Both of these great leaders, as well as their
immediate successors, Joshua and Elisha, also had the gift of performing miracles.
Commands regarding offerings chs. 28—29
Another step, in preparing to enter Canaan, involved setting forth a system, in an
organized fashion, to regulate all the sacrifices that God required the priests to offer for
the whole nation during a year. These offerings maintained fellowship with God.
Numbers 28 and 29 contain a list of the minimum number of sacrifices, each year, that
the priests were to offer for the nation as a whole. Individuals, of course, could and did
bring other sacrifices in addition to these.
"The real key to successful conquest of Canaan and happy living within its
borders was continual fellowship with God. Hence it was that God at this
time presented to the new generation by way of Moses a finalized and
complete set of regulations for offerings, most of which had already been
given at Sinai. Their observance would encourage an intimate worship of
God by the people in the land (cf. Exod. 23:14-17; 29:38-42; 31:12-17;
Lev. 23; Num. 25:1-12)."353
"As we, the modern readers of Numbers, think scripturally, this
overwhelming emphasis on sacrificial worship has one intent: to cause
each reader to think of the enormity of the offense of our sin against the
holiness of God, thus driving the repentant sinner to the foot of the Cross.
All sacrifices—whether of the morning or evening, of Sabbath or New
Moon—have their ultimate meaning in the death the Savior died. Apart
from his death, these sacrifices were just the killing of animals and the
burning of their flesh with attendant ceremonies. After his death, sacrifices
such as these are redundant—indeed, offensive—for they would suggest
that something was needed in addition to the Savior's death. But before his
death, these sacrifices were the very means God gave his people in love to
help them face the enormity of their sin, the reality of their need for his
grace, and—in some mysterious way—to point them to the coming cross
of Savior Jesus."354
The arrangement in which Moses listed the sacrifices here is by their frequency: daily
(28:3-8), weekly (28:9-10), monthly (28:11-15), and yearly, in chronological order,
following the Hebrew calendar (28:16—29:38). "Meal" and "drink offerings"
accompanied all the "burnt offerings."
"In this cycle of holy periods, regulated as it was by the number seven,
and ever expanding into larger and larger circles, there was embodied the
whole revolution of annually recurring festivals, established to
353Jensen,
354Allen,
pp. 110-11.
"Numbers," p. 949.
107
108
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
commemorate the mighty works of the Lord for the preservation and
inspiration of His people."355
The chart below indicates what the priests offered on each special day. Note the
prominence of the number seven.
Occasion
A.
B.
C.
Every Day
Every Sabbath
First of every
new month (the
new moon)
D. Passover
14th of 1st
month
15th - 21st of
1st month
1st day
2nd day
Unleavened
3rd day
E.
Bread
4th day
5th day
6th day
7th day
F. Firstfruits
4th of 3rd
month
G. Trumpets
1st of 7th
month
H. Atonement
10th of 7th
month
15th - 22nd of
I. Tabernacles
7th month
I. Tabernacles
1st day
2nd day
3rd day
4th day
5th day
6th day
7th day
8th day
355Keil
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Day
and Delitzsch, 3:218.
Burnt Offerings
Bulls Rams Lambs
2
2+A
Sin
Offerings
Goats
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
7+A
References
28:3-8
28:9-10
28:11-15 (cf.
10:10; 1 Sam.
20:5, 25, 29)
1+A
28:16
B
28:17-25
7+A
7+A
7+A
7+A
7+A
7+A
7+A
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
7+A
1+C
1+C
7+A+C
1
28:26-31
1
1
7+A
1
29:1-6
B
2
29:7-11
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
14+A
14+A
14+A
14+A
14+A
14+A
14+A
7+A
29:12-38
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"Totally apart from the sacrifices that the people brought in their own
personal worship, and the great number of lambs slain at Passover, each
year the priests offered 113 bulls, 32 rams, and 1,086 lambs!"356
Each (every) day was to be a "day of worship" for the Israelites. They offered sacrifices
daily to make it so: a worship day. The "Sabbath" was a special day of worship. It was a
day of rest for all but the priests, for whom this day meant additional service.
"The Tabernacle's daily offering of two lambs with a few pints of oil, flour
and wine is as nothing compared with (e.g.) the daily offering of 5,500
loaves, 54 cakes, 204 jugs of beer, up to 50 geese, an ox, and a variety of
other items all regularly presented at either of the two Ramesside temples
just mentioned [in western Thebes in the thirteenth century B.C.]."357
"Every year in future the priests will have to sacrifice 113 bulls, 32 rams,
and 1086 lambs and offer more than a ton of flour and a thousand bottles
of oil and wine."358
Commands regarding vows ch. 30
The last chapter of Leviticus (ch. 27) contains instructions regarding how the Israelites
were to handle vows under the Mosaic Law. In contrast, this chapter deals with when,
and under what circumstances, they could annul vows, and when they had to remain in
force.
"The reason for the nature of the pentateuchal laws may be that the
Israelites assumed, with much of the culture around them, that vows were
a legitimate expression of devotion to one's god(s), hence only specific
ordinances governing the vows were seen as necessary."359
Perhaps Moses included this section in the context of matters dealing with preparations
for entering Canaan because, in times of war, people tend to make more vows. This is
especially true of soldiers and their wives and children. Also, vows are a kind of offering
to God, so commenting on them here is fitting, in view of the previous discussion of
offerings (chs. 28—29). A festival was an ideal time at which to discharge a vow, since it
was to be declared to the priest at the tabernacle.
"Vows" were voluntary promises to do or not do specified things—if God would or
would not do something else. Some vows were offered to express thanks when God had
done something special. Vows usually involved fasting, or abstaining from other lawful
things, or giving God some special gift or offering.
356Wiersbe,
The Bible . . ., p. 363.
Kitchen, The Bible In Its World, p. 86.
358G. Wenham, Numbers, p. 197.
359Ashley, p. 574.
357Kenneth
109
110
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
Moses explained the basic principles governing vows first (v. 2): it was a "binding oath";
it must "not be violated"; it must be fulfilled ("he shall do according to all that proceeds
out of his mouth"). The Israelites were to take their promises to God seriously and not
break them (cf. Eccles. 5:4-5). Then follow four cases, some of which constituted an
exception to this rule. Others did not.
A girl or young woman, living under the authority of her father, had a responsibility to
obey her father, which was more important than her responsibility to keep a self-imposed
vow (vv. 3-5). A woman who married a husband after she had taken a vow, was to place
the importance of her submission to her husband above her vow (vv. 6-8). No other
person could cancel a widow's or divorcee's vow, because she was directly responsible to
God, not to her father or husband (v. 9). A woman who took a vow after she became
married, was under the authority of her husband primarily, and under the authority of the
terms of her vow secondarily (vv. 10-12). Since a woman's vow could obligate her father
or husband, he had the right to annul a vow that she had made (vv. 5, 8).
Another rule follows (vv. 13-15): A husband could annul his wife's vow immediately,
right after he became aware of it, but if he did not annul it when he first became aware of
it, it would remain in force.
"The assumed culpability of Adam in Genesis 3 may stem from the
principle behind this law. In 3:6, Adam's wife makes a rash decision in his
presence: 'She took from the tree and ate and gave it to her husband who
was with her.' In view of this passage in Numbers, Adam's silence in the
narrative makes him culpable for his wife's action."360
This section clarifies the important principle, that one should not regard self-imposed
religious obligations as more important than God-given duties. Sometimes a godly child
will make an unwise vow to God. Later in life, he or she may realize that the vow is
actually keeping him or her from obeying the Lord. In such cases, obedience should
trump keeping a vow.
"The matter of vowing a vow or making a pledge was taken very seriously
in Israel. If the foundation of the faith was the immovable trustworthiness
of God, no wonder a premium was put on being true to one's promises in
general."361
3. Reprisal against the Midianites and the settlement of the
Transjordanian tribes chs. 31—32
Moses' last campaign ch. 31
The writer now recorded the fulfillment of God's instructions to Moses for Israel to
destroy the Midianites (25:16-18). In this account, the aftermath of the battle receives
more attention than the battle itself. Evidently God included this chapter here for two
360Sailhamer,
361Maarsingh,
The Pentateuch . . ., p. 417.
p. 106.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
reasons at least. It records Israel's victory over one of her enemies, and it explains the
way she conducted the war and the manner in which she handled the spoils of war. These
procedures provided a precedent for the Israelites in their future battles with the
Canaanites. This section then gives more information concerning God's preparations of
the Israelites for entering the land.
Warriors were not a privileged class in Israel, as they were in the nations that surrounded
Israel. God viewed war as an ugly necessity, not something to glorify. Ancient legends
glorified war and warriors. God glorifies peacemakers (cf. Matt. 5:9).
31:1-24
The "vengeance" Israel was to take (v. 2) was for the spiritual and sexual
seduction the Midianites had led the Moabites to practice with them. This
had resulted in the defeat of God's people (ch. 25). Her enemies had lured
Israel away from her true husband, Yahweh.
Moses did not give us the name of Israel's military leader in this battle.
However, "Phinehas," the high priest's son, is the prominent person in the
record (v. 6). This phenomenon points to the nature of the battle as being
primarily for spiritual purposes. Israel did not annihilate the Midianites
simply because they were her political and military enemies. She did so
primarily because she was God's instrument of judgment for the
Midianites' spiritual sins (idolatry, sacred prostitution, etc.). This was
"holy war."
"The battle . . . had the character of an execution, in the
form of a ban. The ban was a religious institution exercised
for a time in Israel as well as among some of its Semitic
neighbors that placed people judged to be hostile to the
deity under a sentence of destruction."362
"The command in holy war to kill women and children
seems in modern times a terrible thing to have been done
(and it was), and something they ought not to have done.
But this criticism fails to understand the situation in the
ancient world. The entire life of the ancient world was
tribal warfare, necessitating warfare. God's judgment is
poured out on whole groups of people who act with moral
abandonment and in sinful pursuit."363
The Israelites "killed every male" Midianite (v. 7), yet we read in
Scripture about the Midianites existing after this battle. Perhaps Moses
only meant that they killed every Midianite they encountered.364 Another
writer explained this problem as follows:
362Ibid.,
p. 107. Cf. Josh. 6—7; 1 Sam. 15.
NET Bible note on 31:17.
364Ashley, p. 592.
363The
111
112
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
"The Midianites were a larger confederation of tribes,
associated with various smaller groups such as the
Ishmaelites (Gn. 37:28; Jdg. 8:22, 24), the Moabites
(Nu. 22:4, 7), the Amalekites (Jdg. 6:3, 33), and Ephah
(Gn. 25:4; Is. 60:6). They roamed through the arid lands of
Sinai, the Negeb and Transjordan. Here it is those
Midianites associated with Moab that are picked out for
vengeance (8, 16; cf. chapters 22 and 25), not the whole
group."365
Among the men killed were "Zur" and "Balaam" (v. 8). Zur was probably
the father of Cozbi (cf. 25:15).
Burning an enemy's cities, and taking spoil and living beings captive,
mainly women and children, became standard procedure in Israel's wars
with the Canaanites (vv. 10-11). The soldiers "brought" what they had
captured to the leaders of the congregation, Moses and Eleazar, rather than
personally appropriating these things (v. 12).
Normally Israel spared the enemy women in battle, since the Israelites
viewed them as less responsible for the war than the men. However, in this
case, the Midianite women had actively solicited the Israelites to idolatry
through their prostitution. Therefore God ordered that His people should
spare only women who were virgins ("girls who have not known man
intimately") in this battle. They brought these virgins into the Israelite
congregation, and in due course most of them married Israelite men.
"It is, it seems, essential for the very existence of a new
emergent community that discipline be harsh and
stringent."366
The Israelite warriors had to undergo the rites of purification ("purify
yourselves"), as did the prisoners ("your captives"), because they had
contracted ritual uncleanness through contact with dead bodies. They also
purified all the booty taken as the spoils of war. The objects that were not
combustible they passed "through fire" ("gold," "silver," "bronze," "iron,"
"tin," "lead"), and the others ("every garment," or "wood") they washed
"with water." These laws reminded the Israelites that—even in victory
over one's enemy—death is a terrible disruption of God's creation.
". . . this is the only example of fire being required for
purification in the Bible and is therefore highly unique.
365G.
Wenham, Numbers, p. 209.
p. 313. Cf. Josh. 7; Acts 5.
366Philip,
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"Fire, a more intensive form of purification, is chosen to
accord with corpse-contamination, a more intensive form of
impurity."367
"Moses' speech in vss. 19-20 is based solidly on the
prescriptions of Num xix, deviating only in regard to how
they apply to the particular war situation. Had Moses
continued with vss. 22-23, it would have appeared that he
was inventing the new regulations out of thin air.
Consequently, Eleazer begins to speak, prefacing his
remarks by the statement 'this is the decree of the ritual
prescription which the Lord commanded Moses,' showing
that what he is about to say is not in fact new, but actually
part of the original revelation given to Moses. From a
literary point of view, to have Eleazer speak allows the law
of Num. xix to be amended or clarified without raising the
suspicion of human invention."368
31:25-54
The "warriors" shared the booty equally with the non-combatant Israelites
who had remained in the camp. The soldiers were no privileged class, nor
did they receive a special reward for their actions. They ("the men of
war") simply served one function, and the civilian Israelites ("the sons of
Israel") served another, in carrying out the will of God (cf. 1 Sam. 30:2425). From the warriors' share, "one in 500" went to the priests ("to Eleazar
. . . to the LORD"), and from the congregation's share "one out of every 50"
went "to the Levites" (cf. 18:26).
The "32 virgins (persons)" that the priests received (v. 40), probably
became servants in the tabernacle (cf. Exod. 38:8; 1 Sam. 2:22).
Not one Israelite soldier died in this battle ("no man of us is missing";
v. 49). God gave His people a complete, perfect, and absolute victory!
This unusual record makes sense, in part because the Midianites were not
a warring people. They were nomads, and they normally moved on when
they encountered trouble. Apparently they were not ready to defend
themselves against the attacking Israelites. However, there is a more
important reason for Israel's success:
"There is a clear line that runs from Numbers 31:1-24 to the
conquest of Jericho according to Joshua 6 and 7. For in fact
that city fell not by military violence but by the force of
Israel's obedient faith. And the same thing is true of the
conquest of Midian described in Judges 7: it was not the
367David
Wright, "Purification from Corpse Contamination in Numbers XXXI 19-24," Vetus Testamentum
35:2 (1985):222, 223. Cf. Lev. 11:32; Num. 19:11-22.
368Ibid., p. 223.
113
114
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
military might of Gideon's band that was decisive but rather
the power of faith. In all three cases the stories have about
them something unnatural, something unreal, something
exaggerated, and in all three it was obedience to God's
command that turned the tide."369
The grateful "officers" brought a large gift "of gold" to the LORD
(presented to Moses and Eleazar), to "recompense" Him with a "[thank]
offering" for the lives of the Israelite soldiers He had granted Israel in this
victory (v. 50). This payment/"offering" was also an "atonement"
(ransom), in that it symbolically replaced the Israelite lives that God had
spared. The officers realized that He could have taken many of the
Israelites' lives in the battle. The gift consisted of a large quantity of gold
jewelry that the soldiers had captured. Midianite traders had a great love
for gold jewelry (cf. Judg. 8:26). The people turned this gift into a
"memorial" of this victory, and kept it in the tabernacle from then on
(v. 54).
In this chapter we have a basic model for Israel's battles with the Canaanites in the land.
This battle with the Midianites was a preparation for those later encounters. It was also a
great encouragement to the Israelites, as they looked forward to more battles like this
one.370
The settlement of the Transjordanian tribes ch. 32
Another instance of incomplete obedience followed the great victory God had just given
His people, and the military commanders' sacrificial, voluntary worship of Yahweh.
32:1-19
Maybe the leaders of "Reuben" and "Gad" concluded, in all likelihood,
that their "brothers," the rest of the Israelite army, could easily handle the
remaining Canaanites without their help. The Israelites had defeated the
Midianites, and earlier Sihon and Og, from all outward appearances,
"easily." Also, the pastures of "Gilead" attracted them ("is a land for
livestock"). Their request revealed a selfish desire, that would have cost
their brethren dearly. The remaining tribes would have had to fight their
battles without help from the Reubenite and Gadite armies.
"In verse 1 the sons of Reuben are mentioned before the
sons of Gad, but in subsequent references this order is
reversed. The reason is very likely that the tribe of Gad was
more important than that of Reuben [cf. Gen. 49:4]. There
is an oblique confirmation of this supposition on a stone
that King Mesha of Moab set up around 850 B.C.,
369Maarsingh,
p. 107.
Israel's policy of completely annihilating the Canaanites, see John W. Wenham, The Goodness of
God, especially ch. 8.
370On
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
following his defeat of the Israelites [i.e., the Moabite
Stone]. This stone bears an inscription that refers to Gad as
a people that lived there from times immemorial."371
Moses saw this request as potentially very "discouraging" to the other
tribes, and warned the Reubenites and Gadites against disheartening their
brothers.
32:20-32
To preclude another Kadesh-barnea tragedy, Moses commanded the
Reubenites and Gadites to first go into battle with their "brothers," the
other tribes' armies. If they would do this, they could have their desired
land after the fighting ended. Moses' concern was that the whole nation
needed to enter the land and carry out God's will by destroying the
Canaanites. If, after they did this, these tribes wanted to live on the other
side of the Jordan, that decision would not constitute an act of
disobedience to God. Transjordan (featuring Gilead's pasturelands) was
part of the Promised Land, but most of the people God commanded the
Israelites to destroy lived west of the Jordan River.
"The phrase 'Be sure your sin will find you out' (v. 23) is
often used in evangelistic appeals, and it can have that
application; but the original intent was to admonish God's
people."372
Moses then instructed his successor, Joshua, on the terms of this
agreement (vv. 28-30). So Reuben, Gad, and the (eastern) half-tribe of
Manasseh committed themselves to fight alongside the other tribes (vv.
31-32). This is the first mention of the (eastern) "half-tribe of Manasseh"
(v. 33). Its leaders were apparently not as aggressive in this plan as the
leaders of Reuben and Gad were, judging by Manasseh's lack of earlier
mention.
"There was good policy in leaving a sufficient force to
protect the conquered region [cf. v. 24] lest the enemy
should attempt reprisals; and as only 40,000 of the
Reubenites and the Gadites, and a half of Manasseh, passed
over the Jordan (Josh. 4:13), there were left for the security
of the new possession 70,580 men, besides women and
children under 20 years (cf. ch. 26:17)."373
32:33-42
371Maarsingh,
With this agreement behind them, the two tribes and half-tribe proceeded
to settle in Transjordan, until called upon to cross the Jordan River as part
of Israel's fighting force.
p. 110.
The Bible . . ., p. 367.
373Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, p. 136.
372Wiersbe,
115
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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"The eastern territory of Manasseh, divided between the
clans of Makir and Jair, was essentially identical to the old
kingdom of Og. The Makirites took the southern part, that
is, Gilead as far south as the allocation of Reuben and Gad.
The Jairites received the region north of Gilead, defined
more precisely as Og's kingdom of Argob. It presumably
extended as far north as Mount Hermon and was bordered
on the south by the little kingdoms of Maacah and Geshur,
just above the Yarmuk (Deut. 3:13-14). A third entity,
Nobah, has no apparent connection with Manasseh, but
took in Kenath and the surrounding villages (Num. 32:42).
Kenath (Qanawat) was located about sixty miles due east of
the Sea of Galilee, deep in the Hauran Desert."374
Whenever the Bible mentions cities of this area
allotted to Reuben, especially Heshbon and Mediba,
they regularly appear to be under the control of
either Moab or Ammon (Isa. 15:4; 16:8-9; Jer. 48:2,
45; 1 Chron. 19:7). Reuben is seldom even
mentioned (only in Judg. 5:15-16; 2 Kings 10:33;
1 Chron. 5:6, 26; 12:37; 27:16) after the Moabite
oppression, and never in a way to show that it
controlled its allotted land.375
^ M t. Hermon
Jairites
EASTERN
MANASSEH
Yarmuk R.
Jordan River
Though these tribes did fulfill their military
obligation (Josh. 4:12-13, 22), their plan was not a
good one. It created a potential problem of disunity
in Israel. Furthermore, it demonstrated a desire for
what looked good physically and materially (cf.
Lot), in preference to what God had said He would
give them–that they had not yet seen. Distance from
the other tribes later produced misunderstanding and
disunity (Josh. 22). The lack of natural defenses—
on the north, east, and south of Transjordan—made
this area especially vulnerable to attack by Israel's
enemies. This area was often the first to experience
invasion, and Israel lost control of it several times in
her later history (e.g., 2 Kings 15:29).
M a kirites
Jabbok R.
AMMON
Arnon R.
MOAB
Zered R.
Transjordan was part of the land God included in
EDOM
the Abrahamic Covenant. However, God's purpose
for Israel at this time was to drive out the Canaanite
tribes that lived primarily west of the Jordan. We
may assume that, if these tribes had simply followed Moses' leadership, God would have
374Merrill,
375Leon
Kingdom of . . ., p. 91.
Wood, Israel's United Monarchy, p. 37, n. 12.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
done something even better for them than what their own plan provided. This is what
God often does in such situations, ample testimony to which we find throughout
Scripture.
B. WARNING AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION CHS. 33—
36
God gave the final laws governing Israel's entrance into the Promised Land (33:50—
36:13). However, Moses first recorded, at God's command, this list of places where the
Israelites stopped and "camped," after they had set out on their journey from Egypt to
Canaan. This is the only statement in Numbers that directly claims Mosaic authorship,
though the whole book assumes it (cf. Exod. 17:14; 24:4; 34:28; Deut. 31:9, 22, 24). This
list constitutes a memorial to the grace and faithfulness of God in thus far fulfilling His
promises to the patriarchs. As a reminder of God's care of His people, it would have been
a great encouragement as the Israelites looked forward to taking their final step into the
land.
1. Review of Israel's journey from Egypt 33:1-49
Forty-two stations, places where the nation stopped at and "camped," appear in the list.
Eighteen do not appear elsewhere in the record of the journey (vv. 13, 19-29), and four
mentioned previously are absent in this chapter (cf. 11:3; 21:19). Obviously this is a
selective list. What was God's criterion for including what He did here? As one studies
this account of Israel's experiences since leaving Egypt, certain patterns begin to emerge.
For example, similar events recurred with regularity, such as: judgment by death, victory
over enemies, provision of water and food, and opposition from within Israel.376
Evidently Moses intended this record to help the Israelites recognize, first, their failure to
learn from their past, and second, God's continuing faithfulness in spite of this inability.
Archaeologists have not yet discovered many of the sites named. They were probably
only camping places, known at the time by these names and used by travelers and
merchants in the desert.
33:1-49
After introductory comments (vv. 1-2), Moses gave a list of 12 important
places where Israel stopped ("camped"), from Egypt to Mt. Sinai (vv. 315). Note that he did not describe the march itself by identifying the places
where Israel stopped, but by citing them as places "they journeyed from,"
or from which they set out ("their journeys according to their starting
places," v. 2). This emphasizes the importance of the goal of their journey:
the Promised Land. They set out from these places on their trek to the
land.
Moses described the journey from Mt. Sinai to Kadesh, and from Kadesh
back to Kadesh, next (vv. 16-36). This leg of the travels included the
period of 38 years, in which Israel wandered while the older generation
376For
a further development of the cycles of Israel's experience discernible in the six groups of seven
stations, see G. Wenham, Numbers, pp. 217-19.
117
118
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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died out. Nothing more is known about this part of Israel's journey
(between the two stops at Kadesh), following the defeat at Hormah
(14:15). Judging from the comparatively small total number of sites
mentioned, it is probable that Israel stayed at some locations for long
periods of time. The nation was probably at rest much more of the time
than it was in transit, during these years.
Some scholars believe that Israel reversed its direction after leaving Mt.
Hor (20:23), and marched north to bypass Edom at its north end, rather
than going south around its south end.377 This view depends on identifying
"Punon" and "Oboth" (vv. 42-44; cf. 21:10-11) with modern "Feinan" and
"el-Weibah," both of which are on Edom's west side rather than the east.
These identifications are not sure, however. Deuteronomy 2:8 says the
Israelites "passed beyond (went around) [their] brothers" the Edomites,
and "turned" (north) "at (away from) Elath and Ezion-geber," which are
many miles to the south—at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Therefore this
view seems unlikely.378
The last leg of the journey was from Kadesh, the second time, to the plains
of Moab (vv. 37-49; cf. chs. 20-21).379
"His [Aaron's] death [vv. 38-39] came at a great age—a
mark of God's blessing in his life. By the mercy of the
Lord, his time was extended to the very last year of Israel's
desert experience; his own sin (Num 20) kept him from
living into the time of the conquest of the land."380
"Within the list of encampments are two short narratives
that focus on the work of Moses (vv. 2-3) and Aaron
(vv. 38-39). . . . Both narratives have the same comment
that Moses (v. 2) and Aaron (v. 38) obeyed 'the command
of the LORD.' Thus one of the purposes of this list within
the larger strategy of the book appears to be to give a brief
review of the work of these two great leaders. God used
them and their obedience to lead the people in the
wilderness for the forty years."381
"One impression cannot escape the student who has
followed the account of Numbers up to this point, that is,
the long-suffering grace of God in preserving a people as
377E.g.,
Aharoni, p. 51.
Israel's United . . ., p. 36, n. 11.
379See Z. Kallai, "The Wandering-Traditions from Kadesh-Barnea to Canaan: A Study in Biblical
Historiography," Journal of Jewish Studies 33:1-2 (Spring-Autumn 1982):175-184.
380Allen, "Numbers," p. 989.
381Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 419.
378Wood,
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119
He had originally promised, through all the experiences of
this vast number of places."382
"The way which God takes in bringing his people to
himself is always the best way, though it does not always
seem to us the nearest way."383
2. Anticipation of the Promised Land 33:50—36:13
"The section breaks down into two groups of three laws each, carefully introduced
by the clause 'and Yahweh spoke to Moses' (. . ., 33:50; 34:1, 16; 35:1, 9; cf. 36:6)
and surrounded by the phrase 'on the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho' (. . .,
33:50; 35:1; 36:13)."384
CANAANITES
PERIZZITES
The repetition of "all" (v. 52) stresses the
importance of completely clearing the land
of its idol-worshipping inhabitants and all
their religious paraphernalia. God wanted to
"clean up" the land spiritually, and to make
it a "holy land." The land was a gift from
God to His firstborn son, Israel ("I have
given you the land," v. 53). God warned the
Israelites what would happen to them if they
were not completely obedient (vv. 55-56):
The Canaanites would be a constant source
of irritation to them ("pricks" and "thorns"),
and God would deal with His people as He
planned to deal with the Canaanites ("as I
plan to do to them, so I will do to you").
The
Native
Canaanite
Tribes
CANAANITES
This brief section of instructions introduces
specific directions concerning the division of
the land and its towns, that follow in
chapters 34—36.
SIDONIANS
Instructions to drive out the Canaanites 33:50-56
HITTITES
H I VI TE S
H I VITE S
JEBUSITES
REPHAIM
HITTITES
KADMONITES
"If we do not drive sin out, sin will
drive us out; if we be not the death of
our lusts, our lusts will be the death
of our souls."385
382Jensen,
p. 119.
p. 175.
384Ashley, p. 634.
385Henry, p. 175.
383Henry,
KENITES
AMALEKITES
KENIZZITES
AMORITES
A
M
O
R
I
T
E
S
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A preview of the land ch. 34
God then instructed Moses regarding the extent of the Promised Land, and how to divide
it among the remaining tribes.
The borders of the land 34:1-15
Moses described the boundary of the land: from south (vv. 3-5), to west (v. 6), to north
(vv. 7-9), to east (v. 12). This boundary encompassed the territory which the people
would divide among the nine and one-half tribes. This was not the same territory
promised to Abraham, but was what God gave the Israelites at their entrance into the
land. If they had been obedient to Him, He would have eventually enlarged their borders
to include the whole area promised to Abraham. Even though they continued to disobey
God, He still enlarged their border beyond the boundaries given here—later in their
history—though not yet to the extent promised Abraham.
". . . on any estimate and interpretation, the 'Canaan' that was the
inheritance given to Israel was larger and more extensive than they were
ever able to possess, even in David's and Solomon's time."386
Some of the sites mentioned are still unknown to archaeologists. "Hamath" ("Lebohamath"; v. 8) was both a kingdom and a city, the city being the capital of the kingdom.
This reference, however, is probably to the kingdom of Hamath, since there is no biblical
record that the city of Hamath ever belonged to Israel.
The land included within these
boundaries was about 150 miles long
by 50 miles wide, and its area about
7,500 square miles. It was the
approximate size of New Jersey. One
hundred fifty miles is the distance
from Dallas to Bryan, Texas. Fifty
miles is the distance from West Fort
Worth to East Dallas.
"God is portrayed elsewhere
in the Pentateuch as one who
apportions the boundaries of
all the nations (Ge 10; Dt
32:8), and here he is shown
doing the same for his own
people."387
386Philip,
p. 340.
The Pentateuch . . ., p. 420.
387Sailhamer,
The Promised Land
What Israel Initially Possessed
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"How small a share of the world God often gives to his own people."388
"The Israelites never actually possessed all the territory comprised with
these boundaries, even when it was most extended by the conquests of
David and Solomon."389
The leaders responsible for dividing the land 34:16-29
God next selected ten men, one from each tribe that would settle in Canaan, who would
assist Eleazer, the high priest, and Joshua, the military leader of Israel, in apportioning
the land. Only Caleb's name is familiar. None of the other men's names appears earlier in
the text. These were evidently not the heads of the tribes, but men specifically chosen for
this purpose. Moses listed the tribes here in the general order in which they settled in the
land, from south to north.
Special cities in the land ch. 35
Next God specified that there were to be 48 special towns set aside in the Promised Land
for the Levites, and six of these would serve as cities of refuge.
"The idea of having places of asylum to which the unjustly accused might
flee, was familiar throughout the ancient Mediterranean world."390
Levitical cities 35:1-8
The previous chapter dealt with the general borders of the land, and the tribal leaders
chosen to divide its boundaries. This chapter gives regulations concerning special towns
in the land.391 According to the plan of revelation established previously in Numbers,
directions regarding the Levites follow directions regarding the other tribes (cf. 1:1-46
and 47-54; ch. 2 and 3:1-49; 26:1-56 and 57-62).
The Levites received four towns for each of the 12 tribal areas. However, there were to be
more Levitical towns in the larger tribes, and fewer in the smaller tribes. The writer of the
Book of Joshua identified these towns in Joshua 21.392 Very few Israelites lived more
than 10 miles from a Levitical town. God provided these so that the Levites, whose
responsibilities included the teaching and counseling of the other Israelites in the Law,
would not live far from anyone in Israel.393 In the Book of Judges, we discover that the
Levites did not always stay in the cities God gave them. So their disobedience frustrated
God's purpose, to some extent. Yet this provision shows God's care for His people.
388Henry,
p. 175.
Fausset, and Brown, p. 138.
390W. F. Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel, p. 124.
391See Menahem Haran, "Studies in the Account of the Levitical Cities," Journal of Biblical Literature
80:1 (March 1961):45-54, and 80:2 (June 1961):156-65.
392See my notes on Joshua 21 for a map showing these cities.
393See Jacob Milgrom, "The Levitical Town: An Exercise in Realistic Planning," Journal of Jewish Studies
33:12 (Spring-Autumn 1982):185-88.
389Jamieson,
121
122
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The "pasture lands" provided the Levites with a small agricultural income, but they
received most of their support from the tithes and offerings of God's people.
Cities of refuge 35:9-34
"Six" of these Levitical towns would also be "cities of refuge."
The appointment of cities of refuge was a divine provision for the safety of any killer
("manslayer") who was not guilty of premeditated murder (cf. Deut. 19:1-13; Josh. 20).
God had told the Israelites not to murder (Exod. 20:13). The right and duty of man to
execute murderers was ancient (Gen. 4:15; 9:5-6). Ancient Near Easterners practiced
capital punishment widely, as part of the "law of retaliation." The Mosaic Law regarding
the cities of refuge regulated this practice of retaliating—in harmony with God's will.
Three of the cities stood west of the Jordan (Hebron, Shechem, and Kedesh), and three on
the east side (Bezer, Ramoth-gilead, and Golan; Deut. 4:43; Josh. 20:7-8; 21:13, 21, 27,
32, 36, 38).
A "manslayer" (i.e., an unintentional killer) could find refuge in any of these six cities,
but a murderer (one who premeditated his act) could not. The next of kin to the victim
(the "blood avenger," v. 19) was not just free to kill the murderer; rather, he had an
obligation to do so (vv. 19, 21). This was the duty of the next of kin. Moses called him
the "avenger of blood." There was no police force as such in Israel.
When a manslayer fled to a city of refuge, the residents of that city would determine if
the killer/refugee was a murderer or a manslayer. The residents mainly would have been
Levites, since the cities of refuge were Levitical cities. If they judged him to be a
murderer, the residents would turn him over to the avenger of blood, who would then kill
him. If he was a "manslayer," he would have to stay and live in the city of refuge until the
high priest died. He could not leave the city; it became his prison. If he left the city, he
would be sinning against God. In that case, the avenger of blood could still hunt him
down and kill him—for his double offense of manslaughter and leaving his city of refuge.
"The sanctity of human life is clear both from the fact of capital
punishment as the only suitable punishment for murder (Gen. 9:5-9) and,
on the other hand, from the prohibition against enacting the death penalty
in cases where premeditation cannot be proved. To execute the innocent is
as evil in God's sight as to exonerate the guilty."394
The death of the high priest atoned for the sins of manslayers. The death of the high
priest, therefore, had atoning value like an animal sacrifice did. Consequently after the
high priest died, the manslayer was free to go home. However, until the high priest died,
his act of killing another human being, even though it was unintentional, rendered him
guilty before God of manslaughter; i.e., of shedding blood, but not of murder, since it
was unintentional.
394Merrill,
"Numbers," in The Old . . ., p. 126.
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Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
"His death may have been understood as fulfilling the principle that shed
human blood can only be expiated by shed human blood (Gen. 9:6). In this
case, the high priest's death was on behalf of the killer, much as the priest
offers sacrifices on behalf of the people elsewhere."395
God required at least two witnesses to give testimony before anyone in Israel suffered
execution as a murderer ("no person shall be put to death on the testimony of [only] one
witness"). This was a requirement in the ancient Near East generally.396
In some cases of law-breaking, the guilty party could pay for his redemption. He could
substitute a payment of money ("ransom"), that the priest took as a covering for his sin.
However, God did not permit this in the case of murderers or manslayers. The reason for
this was that "blood pollutes the land" (v. 33). That is, these crimes brought uncleanness
on the land because they involved killing people without divine authorization. The land
needed to be clean in this sense, because the LORD Himself resided in it among His
people (v. 34). Canaan was not only the Promised Land; it was to be the "Holy Land" as
well.
These regulations underscore again the uniqueness and value of human life. We see this,
both in the consequences for killing another person, and in the safeguards granted the
manslayer. The basic human rights of people are extremely important to God. The cities
of refuge are also an illustration of Christ, who provides shelter for the sinner from
judgment (cf. Rom. 8:1, 33-34; Heb. 6:17-20). Baxter believed that there are three main
types of Christ in Numbers: the smitten rock (20:7-11), the brazen serpent (21:4-9), and
the cities of refuge.397
A review of the inheritance of women ch. 36
The revelation of the laws of the division of the land, just explained, precipitated the
incident that Moses recorded here. What would happen if an heiress to her father's
property married someone from a different tribe? In that case, the land owned by her
father would become the property of another tribe, and the tribal allotments would
become intermixed and confused. The leaders of a family in the tribe of Manasseh
brought the problem to Moses, namely, the family of Zelophehad—who had only female
heiresses (cf. 27:11).
God responded to the question they raised by giving the following ordinance: In cases
like this, the heiresses had to marry within their tribe. This prevented property from
"transferring" to another tribe, but it still gave the heiresses some freedom to marry.
The five daughters of Zelophehad did as the Lord directed, and married their cousins,
"their uncles' sons," within their tribe of Manasseh. Perhaps Moses recorded the names of
395Ashley,
p. 654. Cf. Keil and Delitzsch, 3:265; and Budd, p. 384.
the Code of Hammurabi, sections 9-11, in James B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating
to the Old Testament, p. 166.
397Baxter, 1:201.
396See
123
124
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
these women—"Malah," "Tirzah," "Hoglah," "Milcah" and "Noah"—as a tribute to their
commitment to do God's will. This testimony would have encouraged all the Israelites to
do the same.
"The reason this passage is placed here rather than with chapter 27 is
twofold. First, it concerns the issue of tribal allotments, which is the focus
of these last chapters of Numbers. Second, it is customary for large
sections of the Hebrew Bible, including whole books, to conclude on a
positive note."398
"Rather than being haphazardly separated and/or appended to the end of
the book, Num 27:1-11 and 36:1-13 form an inclusio that frames the
deliberately unfinished story of the second generation. Zelophehad's
daughters exemplified the faith that tenaciously clung to the Lord despite
adverse circumstances. In contrast to the shortsightedness and concomitant
unbelief of the first generation, the daughters' eschatological outlook
provided the necessary impetus for obeying the stipulations of the
covenant."399
The Book of Numbers closes with the positive example of obedience that these women
provided for Israel. This book, that is so full of negative examples of unbelief and
disobedience, ends optimistically. With people like Zelophehad's daughters in Israel, the
future of the nation looked promising.
398Sailhamer,
The Pentateuch . . ., p. 422.
R. Ulrich, "The Framing Function of the Narratives about Zelophehad's Daughters," Journal of the
Evangelical Theological Society 41:4 (December 1998):538.
399Dean
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
Conclusion
The Book of Numbers is a lesson in the importance of trust and obedience. The Israelites
frequently failed to trust and obey God in the hours of their trials, and consequently God
postponed His blessing. Most of them never enjoyed the good things that God had for
them. Obedience to God is essential on our part.
". . . the point of the book of Numbers is important for God's people in any
age: Exact obedience to God is crucial. Numbers makes the point most
especially through examples of disobedience such as those found in chs.
11—21."400
The book also teaches us that the failures of His chosen human instruments do not
frustrate God's plans any more than the opposition of His enemies. The Israelites'
unfaithfulness to God did not turn Him back from faithfully carrying out His
commitments to His chosen people. I believe the outstanding characteristic of God that
Numbers reveals is His graciousness.
"Perhaps the most prominent theme is that of the gracious providence of
the Lord in caring for all of Israel's needs—militarily, physically,
nutritionally and spiritually—in spite of constant rebellions by the people,
both leadership and rank and file."401
The process of divine discipline is another important revelation. We see in Numbers how
God deals with His people when they fail to trust and obey Him. On the one hand, He
does not permit them to enjoy what He has promised. On the other hand, He works with
them to prepare them to be stronger when they face the same tests again. Where their sin
abounds, His grace abounds even more greatly. He makes the broken bone stronger at the
place of the break than it was before the break.
Regarding the Israelites' and our entering into all that God wants us to enjoy, everything
depends on one's attitude toward God. If we allow the giants and walls that stand between
ourselves and God's will to block our view of God, we will fail. Unbelief will lead to
disobedience, that will lead to discipline, that will lead to frustration and death. However,
if we see the giants and walls overshadowed by God, as Caleb and Joshua did, we will
succeed. Trust will lead to obedience, that will lead to blessing, that will lead to progress
and life.
"Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through
following the same example of disobedience" (Heb. 4:11).
400Ashley,
p. ix.
p. 2.
401Riggans,
125
126
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
2016 Edition
Appendix
MOSES' INTERCESSORY MINISTRY AFTER THE EXODUS
PASSAGE
CONTEXT
Deut. 9:22, 25-29
Exod. 32:11-13
Exod. 32:31-32
Complaint about
water
Battle with
Amalek
Golden calf
Golden calf
Deut. 9:20
Golden calf
Exod. 17:11-12
Exod. 34:9
Num. 10:35
Num. 10:36
Num. 11:2; Deut.
9:22, 25-29
Num. 11:11-15;
Deut. 9:22, 25-29
Num. 12:13
Num. 14:13-19
Num. 16:15
Num. 16:22
Num. 21:7
Num. 27:5
Num. 27:15-17
Deut. 3:23-25
REQUEST
APPLICATION
Spare Israel.
Mercy for complainers
Give victory.
Defeat of spiritual enemies
Spare Israel.
Forgive the
people.
Spare Aaron.
Mercy for apostates
Restoration for apostates
Mercy for God's fallen
servants
Renewal of the
Stay with Israel. Renewal of God's favor
covenant
after failure
Whenever the
Scatter God's
Defeat of those who
ark set out
enemies.
oppose God's purposes
Whenever the
Return to camp. Constant manifestation of
ark would rest
God's glory & presence
Fire in the camp Grant mercy.
God's patience with
complainers
Complaint about Kill me.
Venting frustration and
meat
asking for help
Miriam &
Heal Miriam.
Blessing for antagonistic
Aaron's rebellion
associates
Return of the
Pardon the
Greater faith for the weak
spies
spies.
in faith
Korah's rebellion Reject their
Dealing with critics
offerings.
Korah's rebellion Spare Israel.
God's patience in not
overreacting
Fiery serpents
Remove the
Healing of physical
serpents.
afflictions
Daughters of
Grant wisdom.
Guidance in solving new
Zelophehad
problems
Moses told of his Appoint a
Guidance in appointing
death
successor.
leaders
Defeat of Sihon
Allow me to
Requesting personal favors
and Og
enter the land.
2016 Edition
Dr. Constable's Notes on Numbers
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135